Revenge
by rinrin0rikuriku
Summary: What if Namine was angry that Roxas became one with Sora? What if a certain redhead encouraged her to fight? To save the one bond they share and the only thing they have, Namine won't stop until Roxas comes back.
1. Prolouge

**Revenge**

_Prolouge_

_A faint shimmer lit up the entire room. The final battle was over for Roxas._

"_You make a good other."_

"NO YOU DON'T!" Namine screamed angrily, throwing her sketchbook to the ground. Some of her crayons had shattered from the sudden burst of anger. Namine had seen the fight between Sora and Roxas. They had become whole. This wouldn't do. For too long she had been stepped on. For too long she had been prisoner to her own regret and sadness. For too long she had been denied her happiness. No, she would not be an empty puppet any longer. Tears bit at her eyes. She knew that Roxas would be one with Sora, but she didn't want it to happen deep down inside. She could feel it too. Someone nearby was pulling at her, calling her to be one again. She shook her head.

"I won't do it. I don't want to be whole if I have to share Roxas with someone," Namine said through gritted teeth. In her body, deep down somewhere, Namine wanted to believe that nobodies might have some essence of a heart within them still. This was why they were smarter and fought better than those heartless. Even nobodies have someone important to them. Two nobodies could become whole, or at least make each other feel whole. Who said that this had to happen? She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't stand the thought of having to share the sole thing that had become important, the only nobody in the entire world that made her whole. Who cared if the emotion wasn't entirely real? It was all Namine had wanted for the longest time.

"What are you getting upset for?" Axel asked, noticing the mess Namine had made. Namine glanced at Axel, her eyes strong and unmoving. This shocked Axel so much he had to take a step back. This was new. He smirked. This was very new. Roxas may just come back after all.

"You know it too, don't you?" Namine said, turning her head away and wiping at her eyes. No tears were there. Of course they weren't there, nobodies don't feel anything. They can only pretend, but pretending was enough for Namine because sometimes it felt so real that it almost made something within her beat. She didn't want to move forward. She liked where she was. "Roxas is gone to the both of us."

"Not quite," Axel said, a plan creeping into his mind. Namine's new turn of 'emotions' could just be the thing he needed. He picked up her sketchbook and broken crayons, handing them to her when she held out her hands for them. He smirked. "You know as well as I do that a heartless and a nobody are created when taken apart by the keyblade. Even if you are not chosen by the keyblade, you can create one and give the illusion of killing one with the keyblade, right? It might just be enough to create Roxas again."

Namine's eyes widened, tempted by Axel's plan. However, she contemplated it. If she could bring Roxas back, what would she do then? What if he had no recollection of his memories like the last time? They would have to start all over. Namine searched within her. Maybe that's just what they needed. They could run away and leave Sora and Kairi to each other. Axel could come too. The two of them were best friends. She looked up at Axel, her decision firm.

"Will you teach me to fight?"

"With your heart and soul," Axel replied, tracing Namine's cheekbone. She held his hand, staring strongly into his eyes. Axel smirked at her, understanding that she and he were on the same terms. This was not only to save Roxas.

It was the save the only bond the two had ever shared, and for whatever reason, they had to protect it. Right now, it was all they had.

"Teach me how to fight with what I have and I'll find a way to repay you."

"Give me what you got."

And he kissed her.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I know what's going to happen, but I'm not quite sure about the couples. I know for sure it's Namine x Roxas, but there was that slight bit of Namine x Axel in the end too. (It's not the kiss, trust me. You'll find out in the next chapter why that exactly happened.)

I've been waiting for Namine to just get angry. To get so furious that she just wants to destroy everything around her. It's about time she got angry. I'm so glad I just let her go crazy.


	2. Departure

**Chapter One :: Departure**

Two figures stood in front of Castle Oblivion. One was clad in black. The other was in white. The one in white had left her sketchbook back at the base. The ones here were weak. There was no need to waste her more powerful techniques on them. If one looked closely, they would see the remains of her fights with him: the healing scars, the slight charred look on her skin, and the few scabs from his dangerous weapons. The one in black was smirking, as usual. He was amazing at her ability to adapt so quickly. He never knew that anger would be such a powerful tool in teaching.

"Ready, kid?"

"I hate you."

"I'm guessin' you're all good then."

"I hate you."

"You may hate me," Axel began, shrugging. Namine frowned at her companion. Her first kiss had been taken by this weirdo redhead, and he didn't even seem to care that it might've been his first too. His first kiss as a nobody, anyway. As of now, Axel was a repulsive, disgusting person with only thoughts of his perverted desires. Axel tapped his temple and then pointed at her, showing off how smart he was. "But you were so furious after that kiss, you managed to become strong in no time. It's only been a few days and I think you've got it down pat. Who knew imagination could be so strong?"

"I hate you." Namine stood strongly against the blinding light of the castle. Her darkened outline causing heartless to move backwards, proving her worth as a nobody. Truly she had no heart. If she had had any bit of heart, it had left her a long time ago. Her eyes were cold and red. They were cold from the hatred that had begun to fill in her heart. They were red from nearly crying because of her lost kiss. She had wanted to share it with someone else.

"Want another kiss before you leave?"

"Shut up. I can deal with this on my own Axel," Namine muttered, moving forward. Her fingers skimmed the edges of thread around her. While attacking Axel in an angry rage after the kiss, she found thin threads connecting the world. It was a strange thing. They all seemed to go back towards something. It took her awhile to realize where these threads went, but it should've been obvious.

They were all connected to Sora.

These thin threads of memory were deadly. A tug of one string could cause the person connected to Sora's memory to break down, as she had done to Axel a ton of times. She could also dislocate these threads of memories to become a material item, such as a sword or a pair of knives. Whatever came to mind warped into her hands. This was at the cost of possibly losing Sora's memories, but Namine wasn't afraid. She was going to destroy Sora anyway.

Axel grabbed her arm, taking in her dark stare with a malicious look of desire. He took in the darkness and the strength, willing it to come to him. Namine didn't move. He moved in closer, as if to kiss. She didn't stop him, but her eyes told him to stay away if he valued his life. Axel took a step back, releasing her. "Are you going to be okay without me?"  
"I'm no puppet."

"_Is that what you think now?_" Axel thought, a smirk falling upon his lips. If she only knew how he was using her. She was only a tool to get Roxas back. Axel blinked, realizing why Namine had been so willing to have him teach her how to fight. She had used him as well. By training her, Namine knew she could well dispose of him as well as the rest of the worlds Sora had been connected to. All it took was a few plucks of the strings and she would be granted access to the worlds. No, she might not even have to do that. She could just completely destroy it. Sora's connection to the keyblade made these memories more potent than anyone else's memories. She was doing this to get Roxas back as well. Her passion was deep. He admired it. "Of course you aren't. Are you sure no goodbye kiss to create some… anger?"

"Only Roxas can kiss me."

"And yet you let one slip," Axel teased, loving the look of anger that crossed her eyes. "You've cheated on him. Oh poor you, fallen victim to evil Axel's crime."

"Shut up," Namine warned, pushing Axel against a wall. Axel blinked, shocked at Namine's sudden strength. She stared at him with the same coldness in her eyes. This coldness tempted him to come closer to her, to make her pay for all this disrespect she was now showing him. What happened to the girl who used to cry whenever he mentioned Sora's possible death? What happened to the girl who would cling onto anything that would seem to give her freedom? Where did she go? What was here in its' place? Axel pushed Namine's hand away, giving her another confident smirk.

"You're so big now."

Namine turned away and walked back towards the castle. Axel watched her go, pleased with what had been created within Namine. He watched her pause for a moment before entering the castle. He turned away, ready to go back to base and wait for her return. The wind blew, making the words she whispered reach Axel's ears.

"Thank you, Axel."

Axel looked up, shocked by the sudden kindness. Even when he had let her escape the Organization previously, she hadn't even muttered a thanks. He grinned, feeling a strange feeling in his gut. It was still small, but it thrived so wholly. It moved within him, beating in time with something. Should he pursue this strange feeling? He thought nobodies couldn't feel anything. Was this just a lie to himself again? He shook his head and created a portal of darkness, a portal that would take him back to base once again.

There was no such emotion for nobodies, even if Namine thought so.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I'm such a Namine x Axel shipper. It's starting to frustrate me, but their relationship is so unique. Still, I would have to say that I love Namine x Roxas is better. *sighs* I'm so conflicted inside. The only thing I'm sure of right now is that I'm really happy that Namine is getting all of her anger out... but the next chapter may scare you a bit. It's amazingly freakish how much Namine has changed because of her feelings for Roxas.


	3. Goodbye to the Namemaker

**Chapter Two :: Goodbye to the Namemaker**

Namine dashed down the corridor, ignoring all the nobodies around her. If one got in her way, a quick tug of the strings around it made it disappear in a black, fiery mess. Everyone seemed to be in their rooms because no one was out. No one had come to bother her. Were they all waiting for Sora to come and meet them? How pathetic. However, it felt like she was missing something. She looked back, seeing an image of Kairi. She shook her head. Might as well.

Kairi was in a jail cell, captured by Saix in an attempt to lure Sora into a trap. She knew it and it made her angry. Pluto barked at Kairi, but she dismissed it as she looked out of her cell. He barked again and Kairi looked back. She noticed a blonde girl in darkness.

"C'mon. Believe in yourself."

Kairi grabbed the blonde girl's held out hand. A light shone brightly, and Namine realized what the beating in her chest came from. She pulled Kairi in and dropped her off where Riku would soon be. Kairi stared at Namine.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Namine. I've wanted to meet you Kairi," Namine replied, giving a fake angelic smile. She turned back into the darkness.

"Wait! Where's Sora?"

Namine stopped in her tracks and turned to Kairi. She shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know where Roxas is. Just wait tight here. Riku will come and save you from Saix. I'm sure he'll lead you to Sora."

"Roxas?"

Namine didn't respond. She returned to the portal of darkness. Something within her hurt a lot when she left Kairi there alone. Maybe she really was denying what would really happen, what should happen.

Quickly going through the castle, Namine refused to lose any more time. If she was too late, then Sora and his gang of good-doers would arrive and steal her chance to do her act of revenge. She ignored the rooms of the organization members. She knew where the one she wanted to kill was. He was always admiring that stupid thing he was making, his own personal Kingdom Hearts. She rushed up the stairs and found him, as she knew she would. He was reaching his arms out to it, like it would come to him at any moment. She scoffed.

"Long time no see."

Xemnas turned his face to see her, a dark look in his eyes. He had been disturbed by someone he hadn't expected. Didn't this girl run off a while back? Why was she here? To return? Xemnas faced her, his white hair shimming against the light of the heart-shaped moon. She seemed so different since they had last seen each other. There was something in her eyes that caused him to be wary about her. He smirked in the back of his mind. There was no need though. She was weak.

"Are you returning to us, Namine?" Xemnas asked.

"No," Namine responded.

"Are you here to tell us something?"

"No," Namine answered.

"What are you doing here?"

"You were the first one to take him away from me with your stupid actions. Why else would I be here other than to kill you?" Namine replied, pulling on the threads of Sora's memories. Xemnas watched her play with the air, an air of amusement about him. What was she doing? It looked as if she were plucking something. He chuckled, amused with the fact that she wanted to kill him. He noticed something appear in her hands with a shimmer of light. He thought for a moment it would be a keyblade with the way it shone, but it was twin chakram. They were similar to Axel's in shape and size, but it stopped there. The color was a blazing white with soft blonde tones. She spun them around in her hands just as Axel did. Xemnas nearly smiled with delight. That crazy redhead that been teaching her. This was rich. Who would have known that those two individuals would have such an impact on each other?

"Are you really up for this?" Xemnas asked, seeing if he could catch a bit of Namine's weakness. Darkness appeared around him in a stifling amount. Namine smiled darkly, taking in the darkness with her entire being. She was going to fight with her heart and soul and there was no way that Xemnas would make her fear him. Twirling her chakram once more, she shook her head.

"You just don't get it!"

Namine ran ahead, straight for Xemnas. He smirked, liking how she fought head-on like Axel. He quickly snapped his fingers and a cage of darkness surrounded her. At least, he thought it would surround her. She had disappeared. He looked left and right, wondering where she went. Seeing her shadow above him, he leaped backwards and waved his right arm towards her right as she dug her chakrams into the ground. Darkness moved with his fingertips and headed for Namine. She nimbly dodged by rolling out of the way. She quickly got to her feet, throwing her right chakram and then her left. She clapped her hands together and darkness formed around the two, causing a complete blackout. Xemnas did his best to look for where the chakram where, but he was hit. He stumbled backwards as the blackout slipped away. Both had hit him square in the chest. For a moment there, he almost expected flames to come out of those chakram.

"You've gotten strong," Xemnas commented, coughing once. "Is that what he did to you?"

"No, it's what everyone has done to me," Namine replied, the two chakram in her hands once more. Xemnas smiled at her in that creepy pedophile way. He held out his hand.

"We can make them pay," he enticed, like candy to a small child. Namine looked at him in shock.

"Are you serious?" she screamed angrily, letting her anger fully appear. Just like Axel. She dashed towards him, releasing her chakram into their original thread form and grabbing hold of the threads connected to Xemnas. He watched as she leaped into the air, full hold of something in her hands. They were small gossamer threads, he noted. "You're the one who's going to pay!"

The threads formed a spear in her hands and she threw it at him midair. The spear flew for its target. Of course, Xemnas easily dodged such a slow spear. On impact, the spear shattered. He stared at it, wondering why she had created such a weak composition with these threads when her chakram had been whole. However, he soon felt why. Xemnas began to feel something ripping at him. It was tearing him apart, but it wasn't enough to kill him. No, it was as if something was sapping at his memories, his strength, and his very soul. Falling to his knees, he glared at Namine fiercely, but she didn't flinch. Upon her lips was a devilish smile.

"What have you done to me?" Xemnas asked, feeling the power of darkness fade away from him. He gathered as much darkness as he could and whipped it at her. The darkness was uncontrollable, leaving only a cut on Namine's face before it faded away. She wiped the blood away from her face, smearing her hand with her blood.

"I have done what you have done to me for the amount of time I was with you. I made you weak and pathetic," the heartless witch answered, her chakram appearing in her hands once more. Xemnas smiled, knowing that he shouldn't have underestimated her. She had expected him to not go all out on his in attempts of using her again. Because of that, she knew she could defeat him. She knew he would be curious about her new power. He wanted to know before he would defeat her. This was why she could defeat him. Namine pierced his chest with one of her chakram, causing him to fall backwards. She pulled it out and let the chakram return to their position in Sora's threads of memory.

Xemnas saw the look of anger upon her face. It was devilish. It could even be considered evil. He laughed. "To think that you would defeat me, my little witch."'

"I only belong to one person, and that's definitely not you," Namine said, turning away. The thought of Roxas crossed her mind. She shook her head, trying her best to forget his smile, his kindness, his strength, and the scent he cast upon her whenever he was near. Roxas wasn't anywhere with her anymore. It wouldn't be long though. She would see him soon. She felt it within her. She began to walk back into the castle to meet Sora when Xemnas's words stopped her.

"You're not a witch anymore. You have become a monster."

Namine turned around, ready to fight once again, only to find that Xemnas had disappeared into the darkness. She lowered her arms, feeling some kind of despair. Tears bit at her eyes. Would Roxas like this part of her? Apparently she had even become a monster. She was no longer a witch. She was a monster. She wiped at her eyes, but she knew that there would be no tears. There was no way she could cry. She didn't have feelings.

But that didn't mean things like that didn't hurt.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Ah, this is turning into a Namine x Axel thing! I'm getting a little worried. Look at her! She's turning into Axel (would that make it Namine x Axel?)! Could you imagine if she died her hair red and spiked it like him! AUGH! She's really turning into him though, I realized. She fights head on, her words have become so harsh and abrasive, and she has decidated her one purpose of living to Roxas. However, she is still Namine inside. She gets hurt easily with things like the word monster. She'll probably begin thinking that she is a monster, like how she began to believe she was a witch just because someone called her that. Ahhh, poor Namine.

The only thing that she lives for now is being with Roxas and Axel. (That's how I originally saw the picture though. I didn't think Xion would take the place of Kairi with the three friends. I thought Namine would take it. I'm living out my own personal dream here about how it really should've went down. *sighs* But I liked Xion too...) Ah, I'm rambling now. Better stop before I make this too long.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Are you Roxas?

**Chapter Three :: Are you Roxas?**

Just as Namine was about to leave the room, the group of goody-two-shoes appeared. She smiled, glad she wouldn't have to look for them. Kairi and Namine exchanged glances. Inside, Namine felt that pulsation once again, that pulling sensation that demanded that she should become whole. Namine's cold stare became colder. She knew for sure who her other half was now. Riku stared at Namine suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" Riku asked. Namine ignored him and turned to Sora.

"So we meet again," she quietly said, speaking to the both of them. Sora blinked and tilted his head, not quite understanding. Namine understood his confused smile, merely giving a weak smile back.

"Huh?"

Riku pushed Sora back to face Namine once again. The two stared at each other, not exactly a death stare but not one shared between friends either. Riku hadn't seen Namine ever since he left her in the care of Axel. What was Axel planning this time? Namine had a cold look in her eyes, and Riku wondered what had happened to her. She was no longer the quiet, thoughtful girl he remembered her to be. Instead, there seemed to be an impenetrable wall between her and him. It felt like she didn't want anyone else to try and understand her. She was here for a reason. "Namine, I won't ask again."

"I destroyed Xemnas," Namine answered, obviously upset that Riku had come between the two. However, he had never done her any wrong. In fact, he had helped her when DiZ was no longer in need of her. She took back some of her iciness in respect. "I came here for revenge."

"Revenge? You defeated Xemnas?" Riku asked, obviously not believing her story. Before Riku could ask about how she defeated Xemnas, the heart-filled moon burst. There was a blinding light and Namine found her chance to escape. However, instead of escaping, she found herself face to face with Roxas. There was no one else. It was only her and Roxas. Tears filled up her eyes at the sight of him.

"Roxas…?"

"Namine, what are you doing?" the blonde boy asked her, a slight frown touching the edges of his lips. Namine looked away guiltily.

"We're going to get you back," Namine answered meekly. Roxas gently brought her face to look at him again; the touch sent a wave of warmth within her. He looked her straight in the eyes and shook his head.

"I'm right here."

"You're not with us individually," Namine replied, reaching hold for Roxas's hand. He let go of her face, stopping her movements. She looked at him, the iciness of her eyes melting by the moment just because he was here. He smiled at her, giving her this feeling of elation that no one else could possibly describe to a nobody. She felt the tears wanting to come, but she couldn't cry. She wiped at her eyes, knowing well that nothing would be there. "We miss you a lot."

"Become whole then, Namine," Roxas replied gently, stroking her hair gently. An image of Axel appeared in Namine's mind. She paused and took a step back, not believing what Roxas was saying. Roxas looked at her confusedly. The iciness of her eyes had returned.

"What about Axel? He misses you too," Namine stated, her words filled with bitterness. Would he just forget about Axel? Would he prefer to live on with Axel? That wasn't fair at all.  
Roxas said nothing. Namine knew the answer that was in his heart. There was nothing that they could do to Axel. They didn't know where his heart was. It was possible that his heart was already lost. Roxas looked at Namine, obviously trying to convince her to become whole. "You know what? We'll look for his heart together. You, me, and Axel."

"You mean Sora, Kairi, and Axel?" Namine asked, her words as acidic as poison. She glared at Roxas. However, she soon felt guilty and looked away. She hated making that angry face, and she hated it more when Roxas saw her that way. The way that Roxas looked back at her when she made that angry face made her feel dirty. She was soiled, wasn't she? She was soiled and impure. Closing her eyes, she said, "I want to be selfish, just once. Even if our feelings are just pretend… that's all I really wanted. That's all I really needed."

Roxas frowned. He squeezed Namine's shoulder warmly. "But it feels better if the emotions are real."

"They're real enough to me!" Namine shouted back angrily. The light around them shattered, returning Namine to the real world. She was staring at Sora now, who looked utterly confused. Kairi and Riku also heard her outburst. Namine blushed, embarrassed by her outburst. She clutched the front of her dress aggressively, hoping for something to beat. She hoped to feel something. She hoped. She hoped. Nothing came, but she kept hoping. It hurt more not to feel. It hurt more when she knew the truth and could only know the truth. She couldn't even lie to herself about it. Roxas wasn't anywhere anymore.

"What's real enough?" Sora asked. Something snapped. Namine leaped back, her Axel-like chakram appearing in her hands. She pointed one at Sora, causing Riku and Kairi to leap in front of him to protect him. Namine felt a lump in her throat. She threw the weapon to the ground. It returned to its thread state before it could hit the ground. She was so lonely. She wanted to lash out at everyone. This was her own fault for being selfish, but she just wanted Roxas back. She wanted all three of them to be together. Was that so wrong?

"I hate you. I hate all of you. Someday, you'll see, Roxas! I'll do anything to bring you back to us!" Namine shouted at Sora. Her eyes carried a deep lonliness, causing Sora to feel something within. Somewhere in his heart, he understood what she meant. It made him sad. He wanted to reach out to her and tell her it would be all right, but he knew she wouldn't listen. Namine stood there for another moment, letting her words sink in. She turned away. "I'll be back. Better hope your friends are here to try and stop me."

With that, Namine created a door of darkness and ran inside. There was nothing inside her anymore for sure. She couldn't feel anything, and it was so very lonely. This was no better than when she was stuck in the Organization's grasp. She wanted to stab at herself inside. She was lonely, so, so lonely. Because she knew the truth, she couldn't lie anymore.

The Roxas she remembered wasn't here. Roxas wasn't anywhere.

Namine wiped at her eyes again, finding the path home.

_But I still want to be with him._

* * *

**Author's Note**

Namine is just so dedicated to Roxas, but she doesn't want to give up on Axel either. She knows what it feels like to be a black sheep, so it's obvious why she got upset when he insisted that they be happy without him. Sora doesn't even get half of what's going on, which makes me giggle a bit. He's such a child. The only one who might have an idea of what Namine and Axel are planning is Riku... possibly Kairi because she's connected to Namine. Hmm, not too sure.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading!


	5. Empty Completely Empty

**Chapter Four :: Empty. Completely Empty.**

Axel was shocked to find the little warrior back so soon. He greeted her only to find her with her eyes brimmed with tears. He was concerned. Frankly, he thought her near-crying days were over, especially after she practically threw him against the wall when they left. Of course, he still had to get her back for doing that to him. That was utterly embarrassing. She ran into her room, slamming the door behind her. He blinked. Was there a cut on her cheek? Did Sora and his stupid group of freakishly perfect friends hurt her? Axel walked to the door, raising his hand to knock on the door. Her gentle voice stopped him.

"I beat Xemnas. He just got me in the end, that's all. I'm okay."

Axel sat down, his back facing the door. For whatever reason, he felt that Namine may be sitting that way too. They were silent for awhile. Axel turned his face towards the door. "I guess the meeting with Sora didn't go so well."

"I saw Roxas."

Axel nearly leaped to his feet. He managed to keep sitting, but hope glittered in his eyes. Maybe they could get Roxas back after. He was worried about Roxas and Sora becoming one, but it seemed all right because they were still somewhat separate if she saw him. He blinked. Then why was she so sad?  
"He said I should become whole. He said we should just leave you behind while we look for your heart so you could become whole too," Namine explained, sniffing here and there. Axel thought for a moment. So his best friend really did want to leave him behind. Did that make him a best friend?

"_Wait… does that mean that Namine doesn't want us to be separated…?"_

"I don't want to hang out if only two of us are happy," Namine said, burying her head in her knees. Axel felt a smile to come his lips. At least this little kid didn't want to leave him behind. It would make him feel happy if he had a heart. "I want all of us to be together."

Behind Namine, the door opened. She got up and turned around to find Axel's emerald eyes upon her. For whatever reason, the look in his eyes made her think of what had happened that day. What if Roxas had said that because he thought that she had become a monster and that she needed this? Would real emotions chase away what she had become? Was she really a monster? Why did it bother her so much that all three of them had to be happy?

"Am I becoming a monster? Is that why Roxas is only thinking of me? Because I'm getting ugly on the inside and the outside, he thinks that I need real emotions to become 'myself' again? They're all going to hate me and I'm… I'm…" The thoughts of being locked up in her white room returned. No one was there to help her. It was a feeling of everlasting darkness and pain. Of loneliness and sorrow. A tear fell from her right eye. "I'm going to be alone again if I don't succeed."

"Namine…" Axel said. Something beat in his chest once again, and he grabbed Namine, holding her tightly. What was he doing? Comforting her? Axel couldn't believe himself, but he had acted on his own. It was her eyes, especially when she said she was going to be alone. He had seen her almost cry plenty of times now, but no tears had ever fallen from her eyes. It was the fate of a nobody. You can't cry if you can't feel. It's how it always was. But they felt the same thing, if nobodies could feel. They both felt that unending nothingness. The bond they had with Roxas was the only thing they had left now. "You know what? Let's train. We'll practice really hard and you'll be able to defeat them. And just because you're changing in a new way, that doesn't necessarily mean you're a monster. I don't think you're a monster. You've just gotten really strong."

"Really?"

Axel pulled Namine closer to him. Her hair smelled sweet. She was so small too. It was almost as if she would break if she was let go. He began to wonder why he had even let her go by herself. She was so small, bearing such a deep lonliness within her. For some reason, something within him stirred. It pulled him towards her. No, it wasn't towards her. It was in her direction, that something pulling at him to become whole once more. He ignored it, letting the presence of Namine take up his mind instead.

"Really, Axel?"

Axel blinked, realizing he still hadn't answered. He let her go slightly so he could look at her and her beautiful crystal eyes. Giving a usual Axel smirk, he replied, "Of course. We're stronger than those brats anyway. We'll get Roxas back. That's for sure."

Namine's face lit up, making Axel feel strange inside. The pulling sensation became strong. It was like a compass pointing the way, but he didn't know where it was going to. He let go completely, allowing Namine some breathing room once more. Namine looked flustered. Axel tilted his head. "What's wrong, kid?"

"Your body was warm… really warm," Namine replied, rubbing the cheek without the cut on it. Axel stared intently at Namine's face. He quickly left the room for a moment. Before Namine could ponder where he went, he returned with a first aid kit. He took out a potion and held it out to Namine.

"Drink it."

"But that one tastes yucky," Namine muttered, staring at the odd green potion. The green potion would taste like grass and dirt. She liked the red ones. They were sweet , covering the disgusting bitterness of the healthy healing components. "The cut will heal after a few days."

"You'll get blood all over the place? What if you have AIDS?" Axel asked, frowning at her. Namine glared at Axel, her iciness returning to her eyes. He backed away, sorry to reawaken her anger. Namine stared at the green potion distastefully. She hated how these tasted.

"We don't have the red ones?" Namine asked, trying to look innocently at Axel. He frowned back at her and she was the one to look away due to embarrassment. Axel sighed, digging for something in his pockets. Namine stared at him. "What are you doing?"

"Here. Stop complaining now. You're such a little princess," Axel said, pulling out a red potion. Namine hugged Axel happily, grateful to not have to swallow that disgusting excuse for a potion. Axel frowned, thinking of a way to get back at her for pushing him against the wall. An idea popped into his head. He drank the potion, causing Namine's mouth to nearly fall to the floor.

"But Axel, I thought—"

He placed his lips against hers, letting the potion in his mouth flow into hers. He licked his lips. For whatever reason, he just loved to make her angry. It was something about her newfound anger that caused him to want to bring it out all the time, or maybe he's always been this way. He just teased her in hopes for some reaction. Finally, there was one. "Consider it payback for that little pushing for before."

Anger and hatred filled Namine's entire being. Even though her cut was gone, she had lost another kiss to Axel. She screamed and pounced on him, forcing the question of why she could suddenly cry when she was with Axel and not with Roxas into the back of her mind.

* * *

**Author's Note**

All right, I see the ending. It's not going to be a Namine x Axel fic! Well, not hardcore anyway. It's more like they're friends, despite Axel's constant sexual abuse. Right now, they only have each other, so Namine would probably go beserk if Axel actually left her. Instead of feeling weak without Roxas, she's becoming stronger and stronger in order to get him back. I mean, LOOKIT her. She just pounced on Axel with the intent of killing him (but she never really does--psh, as if Axel would allow himself to die at Namine's hands).

Anyway, I'd like to thank Inspiration of Imagination and NinjaSheik for constantly supporting me. I'm so happy. Thank you so much, you two!

Thank you to everyone else who is reading and supporting me as well!


	6. The Reason Why She Does What She Can

**Chapter Five :: The Reason Why She Does What She Can**

"We're here," Namine said, looking out over the beach. They were on the island that Sora, Kairi, and Riku used to hang out at so much. After a long year, she was finally ready to fight. She had been preparing every day for this moment in her life. She was going to bring Roxas back, no matter what. Her eyes darkened. Even if she had to become a monster, she would save Roxas from the cage she had let him walk into. Axel stood behind her, asked to come by Namine. She had grown a lot over the past year, but she still needed him to be here for support. He shook his head. She was still a child. She was still hurt from Xemnas's last words. On occasion, Axel would see her staring in the mirror with tears in her eyes. She would hold her hand against the mirror as if it would transform at any moment. At those moments, he would feel as if he could help her, but he knew he couldn't.

"Well, we know that. Did you send them some sort of threatening message…?" Axel asked, pushing the thoughts of Namine's self-doubt aside. Namine blinked and looked back at him. He paused for a moment, wondering if she knew what he meant. She didn't seem to quite understand. "You know… to let them know you're here."

"What?"

Axel nearly fell over. He shook his head again. Pointing to the city where Sora would reside, Axel explained to Namine that if Sora didn't know that they were here, then he probably wouldn't come to fight them. Namine stood there for a moment, letting the information sink in. She tilted her head to the side. She nodded and said, "I didn't even think of that. Sending a message is a good idea."

"How did you think they were gonna know we're here?" Axel asked, slapping his forehead. He heard a giggle. Namine pointed at Axel, giving a devilish sort of grin. He frowned at her, pulling the hood of his head to hide his flaming red hair. Namine's grin became wider at the action. Angrily, Axel pulled down his hood. He turned away, obviously offended but doing his best to not look pouty. Namine giggled some more and walked towards the town.

"Let's find a place to stay. I'm sure your unique red hair will get us noticed right away once we walk around a bit," Namine commented, her face bright and happy. Axel watched her for a moment as she began to walk to the city. That was the happiest he'd seen her since that day she defeated Xemnas. He managed a smile himself. However, that didn't meant that he would forget her little comment about his hair. It was his natural hair color.

_"Maybe it's because she knows she'll see Roxas soon,"_ Axel thought, the thought of the two lovebirds making him sick inside. He knew he'd never be the third wheel with those two, but he kept thinking he'd have to play that role sooner or later. In fact, if they liked each other so much, why didn't Namine just leave him behind too? He smiled, knowing the answer.

**I want all of us to be together.**

_"She's so determined to see him. Maybe that's why she grew so strong so fast. Eh, what am I saying? I sound like a sap,"_ Axel thought, ashamed he'd been put to Sora's level in moments. Why was she so motivated anyway? It's not like she and Roxas had precious moments in Twilight Town or anything. They didn't eat sea salt ice cream on top of the clock tower at sundown or help each other out on endless missions. As far as he knew, all Namine and Roxas did was talk a few times. _"What the heck happened between them that caused them to like each other so much?"_

"Axel, look at what I bought!" Namine shouted, waving at him excitedly. Looking up, Axel realized they were already in town. He sighed. She was still a child after all. She ran up to him, holding up two sea salt popsicles. Licking one, she gave the other to Axel. "He said that they're the biggest rage! I thought you might like them because your body temperature might lessen by about 50 degrees."

"Are you complaining because I gave you a hug?" Axel demanded, grabbing the ice cream. He didn't really care for it, but since Namine spent the small amount of money she had on it, he figured he might as well be polite. The two spent a silent moment to eat it. Then, Axel returned to his anger at Namine. She heard him rant about her complaining about his body heat for about ten seconds before pointing at his hand with a curious look on her face.

"Hey, it's melting."

Axel hurried to lick up the melting ice cream. Obviously amused that he had gotten so angry that his own body heat melted his own ice cream, Namine laughed brightly. The redhead stared at her curiously. No, she was too happy to just be realizing that she was going to see Roxas soon. There had to be another reason for Namine's sudden happiness. He stood there for a moment, an empty ice cream stick in his hand. "Namine."

The small girl was still finishing her ice cream. She looked up at the redhead, her eyes dulled over. Axel took a step back, shocked by the emptiness that was in her eyes. He was really confused. Why was she faking this happiness if she really just felt the same as before? However, Namine's eyes quickly brightened once again. She pointed at him with her ice cream stick. "Yes, Axel?"

"Why are you doing this today?"

"I was wondering if I could go back to being pure. I'm sorry for fooling you, but I'm afraid that Roxas won't like me anymore," Namine replied, lowering her head. She lifted it once more, doing her best to look happy. Axel frowned, upset that it was so blatant that she was forcing herself. Before he could say something kind, he noticed the edges of a familiar pink dress from behind a house. Knowing Namine might just run into the battle and unconsciously hurt the others around her, Axel quickly devised a way to get Namine to the hotel. He took her ice cream stick and threw it out along with his. Grabbing her head, Axel began to push her towards the hotel. Hey, he had little time before Namine would surely notice Kairi.

"You're thinking too much again. C'mon, I'll get us a hotel," Axel grumbled. The young girl in pink followed the two obviously. This was probably why she was left behind while Sora and Riku went to fight the darkness. And she probably wondered why she was captured all the time. It had been a year. Axel hoped that Riku or Sora had taught her a thing or two about fighting. Namine would be furious to find out that her other half was so weak. The image of Roxas passed his mind. "Hey, Namine."

"Yes?"

"Why do you do so much for Roxas?" Axel asked, finally getting the question out. He heard nothing from the girl, causing him to wonder if he should have even tried. He should've known that Namine wouldn't want to talk about things like that. He was only pushing her weakness out into the open. At least, that's what he thought before she began to speak.

"I don't know," Namine replied simply. She placed her hands on top of the one Axel held her with. Before they had known it, it was far past noon. "I met him and something within me began. I know we nobodies can't feel, but I felt something. It might have to do with Sora and Kairi liking each other, but I don't want to believe that. I want to believe in love at first sight, so I can't stand the thought of only being with Roxas when Sora and Kairi are together. And then I think of you, and there's this horrible emptiness when I think of Roxas and I without you. So I decided a long time ago."

"Decided what?"

"I decided that I'll find a way to make it so we all can be together someday. I know that people will hate me for it, and maybe even you and Roxas will hate what I will become… but I'm not going to be afraid of what I can do anymore. This is for the one thing I cherish and desire more than anything in the world right now, so it would be wrong to not go all out. If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. Isn't that what you said once?"

"Got it memorized?" Axel said sarcastically. Namine managed a smile. Inside, he felt that pulling sensation once again. He looked up and around. All he saw was that blatant pink dress out of the corner of his eye, but he felt something pulling him. It was calling to him, telling him to become whole once more. It sounded like his voice without it being his voice.

"We'll need two rooms that connect each other, and then an extra room, okay?" Namine asked. She heard the ex-organization member mutter something. She stopped, causing Axel to pause in his pushing. She looked up at him with his hand on her head. "This is uncomfortable."

"You're such a little princess," Axel muttered, grabbing Namine and putting her over his shoulder. He kept here there, mulling over his own thoughts as he did as Namine asked. She stayed on his shoulder as he made the reservation, making the receptionist feel especially awkward. She stayed there as he went up in the elevator with the family of eleven. She stayed there was they entered the room. It wasn't until he set her down on the bed that she was finally on her own. She looked up at him from the bed.

"You could've put me down. You make it look like I'm crippled or something," she said, frowning at him. Axel shrugged, dismissing the comment. She sat up, only to have Axel push her back down again.

"Hey—"

"Kairi saw us. She followed us to the hotel. She'll be knocking on the door any—"

There was a knock on the door. Namine, warned of Kairi's arrival, slowly and defensively walked up to the door. She checked in the peephole. It was Kairi. There was a set frown on her face, and a keyblade in her hand. Whether she planned on fighting in the hotel or not, Namine couldn't tell. She looked at Axel, who merely shrugged. His eyes told her that she could either make the decision to run or fight. They could make the three-story leap from the window if they had to.

Doing her best to look strong, Namine nodded towards the door. Axel gave her a nod in return, sitting comfortably on the bed. A confident smile appeared on her lips, determined to win or die trying. Axel just barely noticed it. He knew she was getting strong fast, but she never ceased to amaze him. In the back of his mind, he would always be watching her. If it looked like she was going to be in any danger she couldn't get herself out of, he promised himself that he would get in and save her. Knowing this would probably result in a battle between the two of them later, Axel didn't really care. She was all he had right now, and he was all that she had right now. They had to watch out for each other. To tell the truth, Axel actually felt the same what Namine felt when it came to why he was doing this. The way that they thought was so similar that it frightened him sometimes.

Namine opened the door, coming face to face with her other half.

"It's good to see you, Namine," Kairi said. She held out her hand, but her eyes were hard. "Would you like to go somewhere?"

* * *

**Author's Note**

I tried to lighten the story a little bit in the beginning. It's so harsh when all you read about is Namine's anger, self-doubt, and overall fear of changing into someone she's afraid of being. Though she's come to some terms that she will have to change in order to cause change, she's still afraid of Roxas not liking her. Then there's the issue of Kairi that you'll see in the next chapter when they fight. I want to post the next chapter right away because Namine pretty much goes beserk, but I've got to limit myself to one chapter a day or else there could be long stretches of time before the next chapter comes out!

In the beginning, I figured I'd name the chapters based on who she was going to defeat. It actually was only supposed to be three or four chapters long, but it actually became longer because I wanted to show reasons why Namine would change and how she would feel about it... not to mention Axel wasn't even supposed to be in it until the end of actual story as the 'revenge'. It's pretty much a different story with the same ideas. ^_^'

Before I drabble too much and possibly say a spoiler, thank you to everyone for reading and supporting my story!


	7. The Every Day Other Lover

**Chapter Six :: The Every Day Other Lover**

The two of them stood on the beach of the usual island. Kairi had a keyblade in her hand while Namine had a sketchbook and crayons in hers. The two of them stared at each other, knowing that this might've been destiny. These two had to fight as did Sora and Roxas. However, Namine wouldn't let it end the same way. There was no way that she was going to become one with Kairi while Axel was still with her.

"Why are you doing this?" Kairi asked, her flowery keyblade shining with the setting sun. She had been trained a bit by Sora and Riku. However, they never thought she would actually fight. When Kairi had seen Axel and Namine, she knew she had to take this on her own. She couldn't be protected forever. Anyway, this was her other half. Why did other people have to deal with this when it was only her problem?

"Why? You know as well as I do," Namine replied, letting her imagination take hold of her. Her hand moved across the pages of the sketchbook at the speed of lightning. On the sketchbook were four blackened figures of Namine. Four blackened forms of Namine slid out from behind Namine. She looked up and gave a perfect Namine smile. "I was waiting for him to return, and look at what happened. I lost the one I love to you."

The four forms of Namine ran ahead on all fours. Their target was Kairi. Kairi got into a position similar to Sora's and began to fight. One of the forms had leaped into the air, ready to tackle her to the ground. She followed that figure in the air and knocked it back with her keyblade. She flipped backwards onto the ground, dashing forward to attack it once again. However, another Dark Namine crossed her path, tackling Kairi into the ground. Kairi grunted, quickly getting onto her feet once more and rolling to the side before the third Dark Namine could slam her into the ground once more. Kairi attacked the third Dark Namine since its fist was stuck in the ground, hitting it until it disappeared in a puff of darkness.

"Burn!" Kairi said, casting fire magic onto the first Dark Namine. It also disappeared. She leaped backwards, barely dodged an attack from the fourth Dark Namine. The second Namine was at the side of the fourth. At the same time, they leaped at her. Kairi stood her ground, countering every fierce attack from these Dark Namines. "HIYAH!"

Another Dark Namine disappeared into darkness. Kairi wiped away the slight bit of sweat that appeared on her brow. She stared at the last Dark Namine, doing her best to figure out how to defeat it. However, she didn't have enough time to think. It began to attack her again.

Namine watched Kairi fight, amused that her counterpart was having slight difficulty with these weak minions. How in the world was she going to fight when her kingdom was in danger? She blinked, almost forgetting she had a quick sketch to do. Finally, the last Dark Namine was destroyed. Kairi stared at Namine, obviously a little tired but still willing to fight.

"If we're going to fight, then we should do it one-on-one!" Kairi shouted. Namine smiled and nodded. Just watching a fight wasn't nearly as good as being in one. Her eyes turned dark, the devilish look returned. Kairi dashed towards Namine. Namine dropped the sketchbook, a new sketch drawn upon the blank page. She drew herself in new clothing. Darkness covered Namine, changing her dress. Instead of her plain white dress, she wore something that was a mix of Leon and Cloud's clothing. She wore Cloud's knit top with a white fur trimmed collar. Around her neck was the nobody symbol. On her left bicep was a black ribbon, and a black cover was over her right arm, tied at the top by a dark pink ribbon. She wore loose black pants and two belts over the outfit. Twirling her Axel-like chakram in her hands, she met Kairi's keyblade with a fierce force.

Kairi fell back for a moment, shocked at her counterpart's strength. Her right arm shook slightly, strained from the constant fighting. "How… how…?"

"You see him every day. He sees you every day. I wonder if he's settled for you," Namine commented lightly, twirling her chakram some more. Her eyes darkened as she turned to face Kairi. She ran forward, attacking Kairi with all of her strength. Kairi could barely keep with up Namine's speed and strength. Namine moved quickly, covering any obvious openings before Kairi could counter. The two leaped away from each other for a slight break.

"Things like that wouldn't matter if you were with me. Then you could be with Roxas," Kairi replied. She ran forward, deciding to be on the offensive. She swung her keyblade to the side aiming for Namine's head, but Namine nimbly dodged, falling to her knees and tripping Kairi with a quick kick. Kairi fell on her butt. She got ready to stand again when a shadow fell upon her. It was Namine's. There was a deep sadness to her eyes.

"You can see him every day, so he must have fallen in love with you. You and I are alike, so I wouldn't doubt it. Have you kissed him yet? Did you two share the paopu fruit or share sea salt ice cream?" Namine asked, tilting her head slightly. It seemed to Kairi that Namine was more assuring herself than asking Kairi. She twirled the chakram in her hands. Right now, it was the only thing that kept her hands busy from wreaking havoc.

"I told you. Just become one with me," Kairi stated firmly.

"WOULD YOU JUST LEAVE RIKU BEHIND?" Namine demanded, slamming one of her chakram next to Kairi. Sand burst into the air as if a bomb had gone off inside of it. Kairi looked up at the angered Namine. Namine no longer resembled Kairi. It seemed as if she had become her own being. Namine stood there. Her eyes demanded for an answer. Kairi frowned, confused by Namine's strange question.

"I would never leave Riku behind. We three always hang out."

"It's the same for me too, you know!" Namine screamed angrily. She gripped the chakram so tightly that blood began to drip from her hand. This emptiness hurt more than anything she had ever felt in her life. Even the cut on her hand couldn't distract her from it. "But Roxas left us behind. He didn't even think about us when he became one with Sora. Can you imagine that loneliness? Can you imagine the hurt we felt when he decided that he wanted to become whole without us? I'm sure Axel feels it too. I feel abandoned and hurt, and there's this emptiness that is larger than the fact that I don't have a heart to feel with! How could he just leave us behind for his own selfish purposes—he could've at least told us what he was planning to do! We would've found our hearts too and we could've been happy together!"

"You can't feel," Kairi stated. Namine's movements nearly stopped. This was the logical answer. This was the truth about nobodies. Namine could feel the bile rise in the back of her throat at this comment. If she couldn't feel, then why was she so devastated when Roxas left? Even if she was faking it to herself, it felt too real for her now.

"TO HELL WITH THAT!" Namine screeched, feeling the tears at the edges of her eyes. She raised her remaining chakram over her head, looking down upon Kairi. The pink-haired half looked so defenseless and useless. Her eyes sparkled with a childish innocence, despite the fear within them, and her skin was flawless. There was no doubt about it. Roxas would have fallen in love with her. Because Namine wasn't with him, he would have taken the cowardly way out. She hated that he made that choice. She wanted to hate him. Namine could feel it now more than ever. She could feel the ugliness that she had coated herself with, but she didn't care. This was for Roxas. This was for her friendship. Even if she hated him, she still wanted to be with him. Her eyes were unwavering as she stated, "If you don't understand, then you're the enemy."

Namine brought the chakram down on Kairi.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note**

I'll upload a picture of Namine's clothing soon. I designed it a few days ago. I decided most of the designs of her various forms... there's only one more that I need to work on. Anyway, back to the story, I really liked this chapter. I hope you forgive Namine's 'to hell with that' line. XD It's the first time I've ever used the word 'hell' in speech like that. I tried to think of kinder alternatives, but these words were the only ones that popped into my mind to show how angry and hurt she was. I thought about things like, "Screw that" or "Is that what you really believe?!" but none of those really felt right. Not to mention, I didn't want to make it too nice or else Namine won't look like she's really changed.

I write more and more, and I keep writing like I'm some sort of Kairi basher. I really like her a lot, but I like Namine a lot more. Before I drabble, I just want to say that the next chapter is during the same events as this chapter, just focusing on different characters... if that makes sense. ^_^

Thank you so much for reading this everyone! I'm so grateful!


	8. Too Much Love to Bear

**Chapter Seven :: Too Much Love to Bear**

Axel sat on one of the tree houses, overlooking the beach. He watched as Namine brought out her Dark Namine minions. He wondered how Kairi would take to the newfound strength in Namine. He was certain that Kairi was going to lose. If only Riku and Sora had trained her more, then maybe Axel might've at least given it a second thought. However, they didn't. The only thing that might stop Namine would be the words that she wanted to hear, and nobody in the world knew what those words were. So Namine was going to win this battle. Though, Axel did get the sense that Kairi would be able to hold her own for awhile. That was the power of a princess, wasn't it? Sensing someone behind him, Axel said, "Hey. It's not like I can't tell you're there."

Sora walked out and sat next to Axel. Axel scoffed. He shouldn't known that it would either be Sora or Riku. Deep down inside, Axel probably wished he was whole too. That way, he, Roxas, and Namine could all just be together. His eyes darkened. Or maybe he shouldn't even exist.

**I want all of us to be together.**

To be honest, Sora didn't know why they were fighting. Roxas told him that it was something that only nobodies could understand, and that Sora wouldn't have been able to stop it even if he tried. Like Kairi, Sora had noticed the bright redhead right away. Somehow, he was convinced that Kairi should fight first. Kairi had told Sora that Namine was what Roxas was to him. Still, Sora believed there wasn't a point to this fighting. He sighed. There was a bright light and Roxas appeared in Sora's place. The two watched Kairi as struggled with the Dark Namines. Axel knew that this talk would've come sooner or later. They were totally different beings on totally different sides. Roxas was whole, and, well, Axel just wished he was.

"Is it true that you're just going to leave us now that you've got a heart to feel with?" Axel asked. He could still feel the bitterness from his last encounter with Roxas at Twilight Town. Roxas sat there, contemplating the answer. He shrugged.

"What choice do I have? I can't control Sora's body for long, so all I can do is watch and wait," Roxas replied.

"You could just use the keyblade on yourself," Axel joked. "Sora did it once, didn't he?"

"And look at what that created," Roxas answered, joking back. The two laughed. It felt the same as before. It felt as if they had never been separated. The two watched Namine intently. However, Kairi had taken a sturdy step and began to fight the Dark Namines. "You've taught her well. I can see you in her."

"Yeah, being together so much… we end up acting like each other," Axel retorted, letting the words sink into the both of them. He glanced at Roxas. Was that jealousy in his eyes? Returning his attention to the battlefield, Axel noticed that Kairi defeated one of the Dark Namines. "She's really afraid that you'll hate her… and even more afraid that we three will never be together."

"We three were never together in the first place," Roxas commented. Axel noticed Roxas's hand shaking slightly. There was something that Roxas hadn't said. Axel dismissed the thought and continued.

"But she had been with the two of us individually before and she's decided that real emotions aren't needed if she has the two of us. It's weird, Roxas. When I'm with Namine, I can feel something pulling at me. It's like… like a compass that's leading me somewhere, but I don't know where it goes," Axel admitted, running his hand through his hair. Roxas sat there for a moment, his eyes on the battle but his mind was elsewhere.

"Yeah, I felt that when I was with her too. Did you know where it went to?"

"Where?"

"To Sora."

Axel paused, staring at Roxas for a moment. This pulling sensation led Roxas to Sora, so that meant that Axel's sensation was pulling him towards his very own heart. He ran his hand through his bright red hair again. "Why…?"

"Namine's power has to do with memories, so I'm guessing it's natural that she can awaken the memory of your heart," Roxas answered, giving his best guess. Axel sat back, wondering what it'd feel like to find his heart. What would he do? Would they merge and he would just become one with his heart? It didn't make sense. Even though nobodies are the bodies, they ended up taking the form of what the heart remembered. The two watched Namine's transformation as Kairi rushed at her. Axel stared at Roxas who seemed taken aback by it. Axel couldn't help but smile.

"She's gotten really strong because of you. She really wants you back, Roxas. We both do," Axel added. Roxas looked at Axel, looking as if what Axel was giving him was the right choice. The wind blew, bringing Namine's angry words up to them.

_But Roxas left us behind. He didn't even think about us when he became one with Sora. Can you imagine that loneliness? Can you imagine the hurt we felt when he decided that he wanted to become whole without us? I'm sure Axel feels it too. I feel abandoned and hurt, and there's this emptiness that is larger than the fact that I don't have a heart to feel with! How could he just leave us behind for his own selfish purposes—he could've at least told us what he was planning to do! We would've found our hearts too and we could've been happy together!_

Roxas stared at Namine, obviously shocked and hurt. He felt tears gather at the corners of his eyes. Wiping them away angrily, Roxas muttered something about sand in the wind. Axel was moved as well, but it wasn't as if he would cry about it. He sighed. They both were still children.

"You know, I think Namine is afraid that you've fallen in love with Kairi because she's not there anymore," Axel stated, bringing up Namine's worries. Why was he even doing this? Namine's worries should be worth nothing to him. However, her words just wouldn't stop echoing in his head.

**I want all of us to be together.**

"Is it a crime to like another girl?" Roxas asked bitterly. He hid his face with his hands, ashamed he had to give such an answer. Axel sat there for a moment, Namine's determined words echoing in his head. He let the fact that Roxas actually liked Kairi sink in as well. He didn't exactly feel anything by those words, but he knew how he should've felt and that feeling didn't feel so good.

"No, but I really wish you hadn't answered like that," Axel replied, shrugging. He rose to his feet, knowing the battle would end soon. He had to go get Namine. Dusting off the sand on his coat, he continued, "It kinda sucks to know that she's doing this all for you and yet you've gone and fallen in love with another girl, but that's just me. How could I tell how a whole person would feel about this?"

"Shut up!" Roxas shouted angrily, his twin keyblades appearing in his hands. He lowered his tone, letting the keyblades return the light. He ran his hands through his hair angrily. "You wouldn't understand…"

"Well, I understand that you've got some serious thinking to do. Even though I don't have a heart, I'm pretty sure what you're feeling right now hurts a lot more than you make it look," Axel said to his best friend. He leaped off of the tree house. "See ya."

There was another light and Sora returned to himself again. He looked down towards the beach. He had no idea what Roxas just said to Axel. Staring at Kairi on the ground, he began to run to save her. Roxas's voice stopped him.

_Don't do it._

"What?"

_She's a strong girl. Believe in her._

"But Namine's going to finish her off!"

_Turn away and leave. Now._

Sora reluctantly turned away as Namine held her chakram high over her head. He heard the sound of the chakram falling and hitting. He turned back only to have Roxas force him to turn away. Sora didn't know Roxas had such a power. He walked on, back facing the battle. Suddenly, tears began to run down his faces. He touched them lightly.

"Roxas?"

_What am I going to do, Sora? What am I going to do?_

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note**

I really like and hate this chapter. I guess I could've changed it where Roxas leaped in and stopped Namine from hurting Kairi. The two would have a heart-warming talk, Kairi and Namine become one, and the all live happily ever after. Ahah, but what about Axel? He becomes an unimportant fragment of a being and disappears into darkness, watching Namine's smile. UGH, I don't like that idea. Instead, I made it that Roxas fell in love with Kairi. I mean, it should've been obvious. If Roxas stayed with Sora for so long, Sora's feelings will obviously flow into the nobody's body. He probably would've felt bad about it, but with Namine not there, who was seriously going to stop him? There's nothing wrong with liking another girl. That was his reasoning.

I really, really like Axel now. I used to hate the guy, but after writing this fic about him and Namine, I begin to realize that he really just wants his best friend back. I admire that part about him. I think he should have a battle too, but I don't want it to stray too far off from Namine.

Before I drabble on too much, I'd like to thank everyone for reading and supporting me!


	9. Like Sisters

**Chapter Eight :: Like Sisters**

Namine sat on Axel's single bed. She stared out the window, watching the sky darken. She was afraid of the fights to come. Somehow, she was beginning to doubt what she was doing. If Roxas was really happy with where he was, then why should she interfere? Isn't that what love was? Was she wrong to try and take him back? Would he even take her back if she asked?

Axel sat in a nearby chair, wondering if he should tell Namine about Roxas or not. It wasn't as if Namine had that feeling already, but he knew she'd be devastated. She might even give up. Then neither of them would ever see Roxas, or, even worse, she might leave him behind too. Words were just words for a nobody. Namine didn't have to keep to her promise if she really didn't want to.

The two sat in silence, each contemplating their own fate. After the battle, Namine had just knocked Kairi unconscious. She never planned on killing anyone, especially not Kairi. That would have been cruel. Kairi had done nothing wrong to her. Because they needed Sora to have a reason to come and fight them, Kairi was placed in the spare room.

"Axel—"

"Namine—"

The two spoke simultaneously, causing the other to become silent. There was another moment of silence until Axel spoke up. "You go first, Namine."

"I want… I want to talk to Kairi. Is that all right with you?" Namine asked, taking her eyes away from the sky to stare at her friend. Axel shrugged.

"I'm not your keeper anymore. Do what you want," he replied, sounding a bit snappier than he wanted to. He knew those two would need to have a talk sooner or later. There were things unsaid that needed to be said. Axel didn't know the words that would free Namine from her own self-doubt, but he was sure that Kairi did. The two sat in another moment of silence.

"You wanted to say something?"

"Nah, it wasn't that important," Axel replied, waving her away. She grabbed his hand, giving him a warm smile despite the warning in her eyes. Axel wasn't afraid of her though. Pointing at her, he said, "Trust me. If I wanted you to know badly, I would've told you already. It really isn't important."

"You're my friend, Axel. I'd tell you anything that I thought you should know. I'd tell you anything you deserved to hear," Namine stated, her grip on Axel weakening. Axel escaped her grasp, rubbing his hand softly. He sighed and frowned. She was becoming sharp. What happened to the little girl who used to brighten at the lie about someone coming to save her? What happened to the little girl whose pessimism could cause even the brightest person to dim a little bit? Axel didn't miss her, but he sure wished that Namine hadn't become so keen to everything.

"It's the same for me too, you know. Since you're the only thing I have right now," Axel answered, looking her straight in the eyes. Namine looked as if she accepted this answer. She looked at him, giving him the sense she still wanted to know.

"When I come back?"

"When you come back," Axel assured, watching Namine leave the hotel room. She seemed to hesitate for a moment. However, Axel noticed her shake her head slightly. Once the door closed with a click, he leaned back in his chair and turned on the TV. What if she never came back? He tried to shake the thought out of his mind without much success. Her words of promise comforted him, but he somehow felt as if she might not come back. She might just run to the happiness standing right in front of her. "You're such a little princess…"

Namine stood outside of the door, waiting. She wondered what she was waiting for. Was she waiting for Axel? Axel surely understood that she might not come back. She might run out and become one with Kairi and then she could see Roxas every day. She might not be able to be individual, but she would be with him. Isn't that what she wanted?

**I want all of us to be together.**

"I do," Namine whispered to herself. Shaking her head, Namine promised to come back. She'd endure this pain as long as Axel didn't have a heart or until Roxas was an individual once again. It was all or nothing. However, she was walking down the darkest path. She had to finish what she started.

Namine walked to the front of Kairi's room, almost about to knock. It's not like she was a guest though. She had been the one who made Kairi captive. Opening the door, Namine noticed that Kairi was awake. Her other half watched the sky darken from the bed she had been put on.

"Kairi."

Kairi turned around, a soft smile on her lips. Namine blinked, obviously not expecting a response like this. She held out her hand and motioned for Namine to look outside. Of course the nobody was cautious, but it's not like Kairi would dare try and hurt Namine. Namine could easily take hold her own.

"It's just the sky," Namine stated, not moving from her spot.

"But it's so pretty with its purples and blues and pinks and oranges," Kairi replied simply. She pointed at her right hand. "I figured you might like to look at something like this since you like to draw."

"I do," Namine said for the second time that day. "I guess we're more alike than I thought."

"We are," Kairi stated. She shrugged. "I could tell you had no intention to kill me, but you didn't have to hit me so hard."

"Sorry," Namine muttered. The two shared a glance, the atmosphere had lightened. Namine sat on a nearby chair, staring out into the sky. The two watched as the sky finally lost all of its colors and became dark. Namine sat there and asked, "Do you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing?"

"I do," Kairi replied. "I do now."

"Are you going to stop me?"

"Only once more, but I'm sure by then you'll be much stronger than any of us could imagine," Kairi answered, assuring that she'd be at the final battle with Sora. The two sat for a little while longer. Namine wondered if it was so wrong to become strong. Was it wrong to follow what your dreams at the expensive of others? Kairi spoke up once more, distracting Namine from her thoughts. "Even if Roxas does like me now, it's only because he sees you in me. Believe in the feeling that connected you two a long time ago. I'm sure his love for me is only because Sora and I are so close. I don't think he would ever want to replace you. I'm sure that the feelings you two have for each other… are not caused by the feelings that I have for Sora or the feelings that Sora has for me. It's something completely different."

"But I'm part of you."

"Yeah, but… you're not me," Kairi stated. She pointed at Namine. "You're Namine. Though you and I have similar aspects and qualities, we could never replace each other. You're someone who's like me but not me, understand? It's the same way for Sora and Roxas."

"I don't want to become whole with you if that's what you're saying. I'm not going to leave Axel alone," Namine stated, her eyes piercing Kairi. Kairi seemed taken back for a moment, as if the meaning of her speech had been lost. However, like the princess she was, Kairi simply smiled and did her best to show she understood. Namine stood up and left the room. Kairi watched the door and sighed.

"Maybe I'm not strong enough that my words can reach her."

The door opened once more, causing Kairi to jump a little. She hadn't expected anyone to come again. However, Namine stood in the doorway with a bowl of noodles and some chopsticks. She set it on the table. "Axel made it. It's really good, so I hope you'll eat it. In the morning, you can go, okay? Axel and I won't stop you."

Kairi smiled, noticing the slight tinge of humbleness in Namine's voice. It seemed as if her words had touched Namine after all. Even though the battle was far from over, Kairi was pleased to know she had erased some of the demons in Namine's heart. They stared at each other for another moment. Namine turned away to leave.

"Thank you… Kairi," Namine said before closing the door. Kairi picked up the plate of food. It was a bowl of noodles. Taking a nice long slurp, she enjoyed the spicy and sour flavor. It did remind her of the redheaded nobody. She took another slurp and looked into the night sky. The stars shone brightly, convincing Kairi to believe in Namine.

After all, they were like sisters.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Okay, I didn't want to kill Kairi off. Kairi might not be strong physcially, but she is a princess of the heart so her words can move people easily. I'm really glad that Namine doesn't have to worry about her emotional connections to Kairi anymore. However, Kairi also knew that by doing this, Namine could only become stronger. It's a doublesided blade, but Kairi was okay with that. Psh, I never liked the idea of Namine and Kairi or Sora and Roxas coming together to be one again. That's just ridiculous. Roxas obviously shares traits with Sora, but he's still different from Sora. It was a little unfair to lose part of himself in order to become whole. I think they're more like brothers than halves of one whole being. (Roxas being the hotter, older brother. XD)

Anyway, I'm going to drabble if I'm not careful. Here's a link to what Namine's outfit looks like. .com/art/Namine-Sketch-134729038

Ignore the strange erasings and odd lines. It was just a sketch of a sketch I did. If you get that... __

Anyway, thanks for reading! I can only post every other day now, so I hope none of you mind the wait.


	10. Best Friends Forever

**Chapter Nine :: Best Friends Forever**

Namine reentered Axel's room, feeling a little better. The moment she entered, she noticed Axel staring at her with troubled emerald eyes. She tilted her head, confused. She had gotten the food for Kairi from her own room. Even though the connecting door was open, he looked as if he hadn't heard from her in a long time. Namine sat on the bed, being as close to him as she could while still on the bed.

"Now?" she asked, inquiring about the thing on Axel's mind previously. Axel shifted in his seat and turned the television off. He turned away from her, turning on the lamp. She had come back. Namine had come back even though what she desired had been sitting right in front of her.

"I was afraid you'd never come back," Axel said, trying to sound as if it were a joke. His eyes darkened. Maybe this was goodbye. He knew that Namine was probably just going to leave him. Roxas left him afterall. Namine's eyes widened, hearing Axel say that. She didn't like that he said that. Despite that, the emptiness in her heart closed ever so slightly. Someone still cared. Someone still wanted her to be with them. Namine grabbed Axel's hands gently. He looked up at her.

"I would never leave your side, Axel. We're friends now," Namine answered. "I figured you'd know by now… I—"

"I want all of us to be together," Axel finished. Namine looked at him, a bright smile on her face. Axel noticed that their faces were dangerously close. It reminded him of all the kisses he had taken from her in the past. At the memories, he managed to smile back.

"Got it memorized?" Namine asked in her best Axel voice.

"You're such a little princess," Axel answered, upset that she sucked at his own voice. Namine smiled back. Axel, finding the moment too precious to spare, kissed her forehead. Namine leaped backwards, shocked and angry. A huge frown appeared on her face and Axel knew that she was planning his death. She leaped on him, pinning him to the chair.

"Why do you keep KISSING ME?" Namine shouted angrily. Axel smirked.

"Because we're not friends…" Axel replied. Namine looked horrified for a moment before she noticed Axel's smile. "We're best friends."

Namine released Axel, pressing her hand gently upon her lips unconsciously. She could feel a smile erupting from within her. She couldn't contain it. "Like you and Roxas?"

"The three of us are together in it now, even though we're missing one," Axel stated, tilting his head slightly. Namine smiled brightly, overjoyed to know that she had a best friend now. No, she had _two_ best friends now. After this thought, Namine felt something pulling at her once more. She did her best to ignore it, but it was nearly a gravitational force now. It wanted her to go to the next room. No, she knew better now. It wanted her to go the Kairi. Namine did her best to stay rooted and ignore it. Even so, it was still too strong. She was going to move towards Kairi at any moment. The force pulled at her so strongly that it nearly suffocated her.

"Can you do me a favor, Axel?" Namine asked, feeling as if a grimy rock had been placed in her pit of happiness. Her body shook slightly from the sheer force to keep herself where she was. It was her determination that kept her in that spot. Axel noticed her shaking. His face frowned in concern.

"Ask away."

"Hold me," Namine said, holding out her hands. Her arms shook. She couldn't refuse the force anymore. She was going to slam right into that wall. "Tightly."

There was no way she could refuse it. It was like a rushing wave crashing into her and sweeping her away. She was going to flow right into Kairi whether she wanted to or not. Namine closed her eyes. She didn't want this to happen. She still had her duty. She was going to bring Roxas back.

Axel did nothing to waste another moment. Leaping out of his chair, he grabbed Namine and held her closely. Axel was pleased to know she loosened up after he held her, feeling her sigh through his coat. However, he felt something pulling at her. It didn't seem very strong, but it seemed to have shaken Namine. "Is it pulling at you?"  
"Stronger than ever," Namine replied, even though her voice was muted by Axel's overcoat. She tensed up once more. "I don't want to go. I won't leave you behind."

"It's all right, you little princess. I'll keep you rooted as long as you keep fighting," Axel promised. He had felt the pull as well when he admitted that they were best friends rather than friends. However, he didn't know where his went. Was this what happened when a nobody tried too hard to feel? Was there something within them that could lead them back to their hearts? He wondered if any of the other Organization members, other than Roxas, ever felt this way. No one had ever said anything about it. "It's what best friends do."

"All right," Namine said, pushing herself away from Axel. Her face was flustered once again. She no longer felt the pull towards Kairi. "I'm all right now."

"It looks like you went into a sauna," Axel commented, ruffling her blonde hair.

"No, I was hugged by you," Namine answered back, fanning her face. She smiled cutely, causing Axel to smack her on the back of her head. She was such a little princess, always complaining about something he did. Namine rubbed the back of her head softly. "What's your problem?"

"You," Axel snapped, giving Namine a joking smile afterwards. The two laughed. It was probably the first time they had ever felt so comforted to be near each other. For once, Namine began to believe that everything would eventually turn out all right. Sora would be separated from Roxas, and everyone would live happily ever after.

"I can't wait for Roxas to come back," she stated, staring out into the night sky with a warm smile. There was an honesty about her that made Axel remember that he promised Namine that he'd tell her that Roxas did indeed like Kairi. Could he do it? Would he ruin the mood in order for Namine to know the truth? The redhead knew the answer. Namine would tell him anything he thought he would need to know. It's what best friends would do. They all were best friends now.

"Hey, Namine…"

Surely best friends forever.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note**

Okay, not much happened in this chapter. I just wanted to make sure I set the guidelines for Axel and Namine's relationship. Of course, I introduced a possibilty why Axel, Namine, and Roxas were feeling those "pulling" sensations. I'll probably get more indepth later. Of course, the main thing is that you have to be constantly around Namine (or have to have some decent amount of time with her) and have some sort of decent relationship with her to begin the, uhh, "sensation". I'll explain it eventually. I have all these weird ideas in my head.

Next chapter will be a fight with Riku! I'm excited for that. Dang, I just noticed the link didn't work. Curses, hold up.

Check out rikkuakinacrazy at deviantart. (Easy, just type in rikkuakinacrazy(dot)deviantart(dot)com) and it should be the newest picture I have.

Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for reading this story. I'm really grateful to all of you and hope that I meet your expectations.


	11. You Won't Take His Place Part 1

**Chapter Ten :: You Won't Take His Place Part 1**

Namine awoke, staring out at the bright and blinding sun. She stood up and stretched, wondering how the battle today would go. Getting ready for the day, she decided she would defeat whoever would come her way. It was the only thing she knew right now. She laughed to herself. What was she now? A mercenary?

"Why are you laughing?" Axel asked, standing in the doorway of the room connector. Namine shrugged, plucking the strings of Sora's mind absentmindedly. She stretched once more.

"What do I get to eat today?" she asked.

"Whatever I want to cook, so stop asking," Axel replied, putting a plate pancakes on a nearby table. Namine grinned brightly. Ever since Axel had introduced her into the world of food that was cooked well, she adored pancakes. They were light and fluffy and gave her this warm feeling on the inside. She ate them happily, letting Axel take her plate when she was finished.

"Riku is in the next room," Axel stated. Namine's eyes didn't waver as she wiped the syrup off of her lips. She shrugged once more.

"I guess… it was going to happen sooner or later," Namine commented lightly, doing her best to look strong. She had never really gotten over not being able to help the replica Riku. She was so selfish back then. She was still selfish now. Axel stared at Namine, wondering if she would need him to step in so she could take a break. Namine turned to him and the two held eye contact. "I'll be okay. These are going to be my battles."

"Whatever you say. Just call me when you need me," Axel replied, sitting on a chair in her room. He tilted his head towards the door. "What are you waiting for?"

"Well, then… I'm going," Namine said, getting up and opening the door. On her way out, she grabbed four pictures she had prepared last night for this battle. It was the best she could come up with over the past year, and she hoped that it would sustain her for the fights that were going to come.

"Don't hesitate. Keep going forward," Axel stated. Namine nodded to herself and closed the door behind her. Closing her eyes, Namine nodded once more. She wouldn't falter, especially when it had to do to her future with Roxas and Axel. She opened the door to the spare room, finding Riku staring right at her.

"It's been awhile, Riku," Namine said, giving a distant look. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine," Riku replied. "It's good to see you, Namine."

"Same here," Namine agreed, her chakram appearing in her hands.

"I won't let you fight Sora, so just become one with Kairi already," Riku stated firmly. Namine smiled strongly in return, the hatred that she felt beforehand returning at full speed. This was the enemy. He was going to take Roxas away from her just because he thought that what she was doing was wrong. This was for Roxas and Axel. They were all going to be together. Riku stared at her expectantly. "That's what you want, isn't it? To be with Roxas?"

"It's the ignorant people that cause me my distress. I'm not going to willingly give up my physical body in order to pretend that I'm with Roxas," Namine said, her chakram itching to hit Riku. She twirled them irritably, tilting her head to the right slightly. "Not to mention, I would forget about Axel. You can't make a trio with two people. I thought you were smarter than that, Riku."

"I guess that means we're going to fight," Riku stated, his keyblade in his hand. Namine smirked, the iciness in her eyes returning. She could feel the adrenaline from the thoughts of being in battle. Her fingers twitched.

"So be it!" Namine shouted, grinning strongly. She dashed towards him, ignoring the fact that he dodged her, and leapt out the open window. It was three stories down, but she wasn't afraid. The wind rushed past her as she twirled in the air, getting ready for her landing. She landed on her feet gracefully and rushed ahead to find a safer place to fight. She knew that Riku was on her tail.

Finally reaching an empty lot, Namine took out her fighting form image and leaped into the air. She transformed into her Cloud-Leon outfit. She twisted in the air, landing so she faced Riku. The picture returned to her pocket. Rising to her feet and twirling her chakram excitedly, Namine stared at Riku, waiting for a first move. Her right eyebrow raised itself expectantly. Riku stood there, his battle stance telling Namine what he himself wouldn't say.

Ladies first.

"I won't go easy on you because you're beautiful," Namine commented. Riku blinked, taking a step backwards in confusion. It was too late though. Namine was right in front of him with a grin on her face. Riku leaped backwards, barely dodging Namine's horizontal attack. He sighed but he couldn't hold back the smirk on his face, pushing back his hair unconsciously.

"Nice try," Riku stated. He dashed forward, attacking Namine head on. She dodged each attack nimbly, seeming to weave through his movements. However, her perfection couldn't keep up forever. Riku caught her as he swung his keyblade horizontally, flinging her into a brick wall. Namine hit the wall with a thud, causing the brick behind her to crumble. She coughed up blood, but she rose with a grin. Blood was smeared at the side of her mouth.

"I forgot boys could be so strong. I haven't been hit that hard since I trained with Axel," Namine commented, touching the side of her mouth to see if there was more blood. She smiled devilishly, making Riku wonder what made her become like this. Turning to face Riku, she lost her smile and instead had a frown. "What if I tried fighting you instead of dodging all the time?"

"Let's see what you've got," Riku goaded.

"I'm stronger than you think!" Namine shouted, slamming her chakram into the ground. The earth rippled towards Riku and exploded below him. He was blown into the air where Namine soon followed with her chakram. They fought in midair. Namine was relentless, but it when her pattern was broken, it took her a short while to regain her position. Riku quickly understood this and used it to his advantage, doing his best to do as many counterattacks as possible. To counter this, Namine would allow herself to be hit once or twice in order to gain some distance before leaping back in again. Namine found an opening in Riku's attack and slammed him into the ground with her chakram with a vertical swing.

Riku stood, nearly unscathed, as Namine fell to the ground once more. She was bruised and she had cuts, but there wasn't anything too fatal. She got up again, but Riku noticed she was shaking a bit. He raised his keyblade once more.

"Just come with me and we'll fix you up," Riku offered, holding out a hand. Namine shook her head despite the stars she began to see afterwards. She was tired from the fight with Kairi yesterday. She knew it was a bit excessive to summon four Dark Namines at once. It was a mental drain along with a physical drain. Namine grabbed another image, letting it drop to the ground as she ran towards Riku once more. On the image was a picture of Namine dressed in a sleeveless chainmail top with silver layered armor on it. She had an armored skirt with dark leggings that went into knee-high boots with belts tied around them. To top it off, Namine's drawing had a silly little hat in pigtails.

"I won't desert my friend!" Namine shouted angrily, already transformed into her new outfit. She released her chakram and darkness appeared in her hands. She leaped into the air and kicked out a leg, aiming for Riku. Riku dodged, and Namine hit the ground with a burst of darkness. The darkness subsided and there was a decent sized hole in the ground. Holding up her hands in a fighting stance, Namine held a confident Tifa smile.

"Can't you just be yourself?" Riku asked.

"As if I can fight with pencils and crayons. Unless you think paper cuts are fatal," Namine retorted, slamming her fist into the ground. The ground erupted with flames of darkness and headed straight for Riku. Riku was blown backwards into a metal telephone pole. He coughed up blood at impact. Standing, Riku found that something within him hurt like a poison. It made him stagger as he stood.

"Do you like it when I can fight with darkness just like you?" Namine asked, tilting her head slightly. Darkness danced around her fingertips. Riku smirked, coughing up blood. The poison moved inside him, making him feel a pulsation of pain every time he moved.

"I'm honored. Let's see how I fare against this version," Riku stated, raising his keyblade once more. The two held eye contact, then both raced at each other. They both seemed to have a pained smile on their faces. Only one would remain victorious.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I was thinking about this whole Riku versus Namine part just one chapter, but Riku is so BA. I feel a little bad because I think maybe I should've made the Kairi fight longer, but then that means I'd have to make this fight even longer than that. Aah, just conflicts. Conflicts. To be honest, I want Riku to cut her down mentally. Haha. It would be the best way to defeat her. Right now, they're both really stubborn people, huh? Riku is just thinking, "Why doesn't she just come? We'll make it work somehow." And Namine is thinking, "This guy is such a JERK! I'd never leave my best friend behind!" Haha, gotta stop talking before I tell you what ends up happening. XD

Everyone, thanks for reading this story! I adore the support!


	12. You Won't Take His Place Part 2

**Chapter Eleven :: You Won't Take His Place Part 2**

Namine flew backwards into a wall once more. She fell to the ground, struggling to get up once more. Riku stood in front of her, his keyblade pointed at her face. Although her new transformation gave her defense a major boost, it was much slower than her offensive form. She was taking a major beating from Riku who took advantage of this form's weakness. The weight of the armor began to get heavier and heavier on her as well due to her fatigue.

"Are you going to give in or will I have to take you back by force?" Riku asked, pressing the keyblade against her head. Namine was shaking from exhaustion. Sweat dripped down her face. She pushed herself up against the ground, her legs willing her to stop moving as she rose to her feet. Riku noticed her entire body seemed to refuse to move for her. "Just come back with us."

"I want… all of us to be together," Namine muttered, raising her arms once more. She knew she was shaking, and it frustrated her to near tears. There was no way she was going to lose to Riku. She'd rather die than lose. Despite the year's worth of training, she still couldn't beat Riku. If she couldn't beat Riku, how would she beat Sora? She shut her eyes for a moment. There was no time to be negative. She had to win or die trying. Charging forward, she threw her fist up into his face, giving a powerful uppercut. Riku, taken by surprise, flew up by the blow. She followed him into the air, grabbing his collar and slamming him back into the ground.

"_I need to have more speed. More. More. More! More!! MORE!!_"

Riku grunted slightly, but found Namine grabbing him once more and dragging him through the dirt and smashing him into a wall. Riku escaped Namine's grasp before she could smash his face into the wall once more. He swung his arm, but Namine leaped backwards and avoided the blow. Namine stared up at Riku. Riku staggered backwards. Her crystal blue eyes hadn't lost their coldness. If anything, they became more intense. He knew Namine thought that this was either do or die.

"I won't give up!" Namine shouted angrily, dashing forwards once more. Darkness glinted in her palms and she slammed them into the ground, creating a dense and dark fog. Riku looked around. He could barely see four inches in front of his face. Suddenly, he saw Namine's face. It was too late to react. She grabbed him once more and threw him into the ground. She disappeared once more into the sky. Blades made of darkness flew down at Riku with a relentless fury. Then, a giant glob of darkness fell to the ground and absorbed Riku. His eyes darkened as he realized it was going to explode. There was a large blast, creating a huge crevice. Riku lay in the center of that crevice. The attack still didn't end however. Namine fell out from the cover of darkness and smashed her foot into his gut. Riku coughed up blood at the blow while the darkness around the two disappeared. Namine stood, her shaking had worsened. "I love them too much. I won't let go. I will never let go."

Riku got up once more, making Namine stagger backwards. She didn't know if she could still attack. She had hoped that Riku would fall, but who was she kidding? This was Riku. Would she really lose this battle? She laughed, almost maniacally. She couldn't believe it. Tears bit at the edges of her eyes, but she knew they wouldn't fall. This was it. Her struggle would end here. Riku walked towards her slowly, his keyblade at his side.

"It ends here," Riku stated once he was near her. He lifted his keyblade at her forehead. "I have to say though… that attack almost got me. Are you going to come quietly?"

"No," Namine replied, her eyes defiant and strong. Riku pushed his keyblade against her chest. Her eyes still didn't waver. Riku nearly scoffed. She kept acting like she was the good guy here. Did she even think about what she was doing? She wanted to attack Sora and bring Roxas back when it was obvious that Roxas was happy with what he had now.

"You don't feel bad about being so selfish?" Riku asked.

"No."

"Roxas is happy where he is now."

"I don't care."

"Just come quietly."

"I hate all of you," Namine said, feeling the tears come back once more. Her body shook, begging her to the fall to the ground, but she couldn't. Namine refused to look weak in front of Riku. "You all just think you're saints. In the end, we're really just fighting for the same thing. We're fighting to save a best friend. Who are you to say that I should come quietly when you've taken someone so important to me?"

"If you became one with Kairi, you could see Roxas and Axel every day," Riku stated. Namine laughed aloud, sounding both pained and angered. She scoffed, turning her face away.

"To give up my own body to see Roxas only when Kairi feels like seeing Sora…" Namine muttered, shaking her head. She stared at Riku. "And you'll never replace Axel."

"We'll find his heart," Riku assured.

"Why do you guys keep thinking that we nobodies want our hearts so badly? I was very happy just having Roxas and Axel with me, hearts or no hearts," Namine stated, feeling the darkness drip off her skins. She closed her eyes, searching for whatever energy she had left. Despite her exhaustion, Namine felt her chakram begin to form in her hands once more. She glared at Riku. "I refuse to lose!"

There was a blinding light and Namine was once again in her offensive form. She pushed aside the keyblade with her left arm and tackled Riku. Riku staggered backwards and was bombarded by Namine's attacks. He frowned as her attacks seemed to be faster and much more precise. He had to finish this. Darkness enveloped his keyblade and he thrust it right at her. Namine's eyes widened, seeing the keyblade come at her.

"Namine!"

Axel pushed her aside, taking the blow. Namine's eyes widened as the keyblade pierced Axel's flesh and appeared on the other side. Riku drew his keyblade back, seeing his keyblade didn't hit its target. Namine caught Axel as he fell. Her eyes were worried and shocked. She stroked Axel's face, pushing aside wisps of his red hair.

"Axel, why'd you do that? Axel, you're so stupid! Axel, I was going to be okay. Axel, you're—"

"Shut up. Hearing my name so much hurts my ears," Axel muttered, grunting from the pain. He got up, but Namine saw he was struggling. He smirked at Riku, his chakram in his hands. Namine stood next to him, doing her best to keep up her strong facade.

"You two are very alike," Riku stated, noting the similarity in which they held their chakram. Axel scoffed, shaking his head.

"Who doesn't think that nowadays?" the redhead answered, giving his usual smirk. Flames danced around his chakram, showing Axel's excitement for battle. He glanced back at Namine and gave a gentle smile. "It was awesome knowing you, Namine. I hope we meet again… maybe in the next life?"

"Axel…" Namine began, her eyes widening. She moved to stop him from this suicide battle, but he hit her with the blunt end of his chakram. The impact, along with her current state of extreme fatigue, made Namine see stars as she fell to the ground. She stayed awake long enough to see Axel shove Riku into a portal of darkness.

And then she fell into unconsciousness.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note**

I feel right making the battle end like this. I just couldn't have her defeat Riku. I mean, Riku is so BA. Like, seriously. O_O;; If she beat him, then Sora would probably be like... eating cheesecake for her or something. Not to mention, Namine got quite the beating from Riku, but I betcha he still went easy on her. (He did...) I have a few, uh, references here. I know it's my other fanfic that has the references, but I just had to. There's a Claymore reference (which is pretty obvious) and a V for Vendetta reference (which may or may not be obvious... I tried to write it as best as I could).

I didn't plan on Axel coming in and saving her, but best friends would step in to help, wouldn't they? He's always watching her... probaby due to habit from CoM. Oh jeez, silly Axel, you.

I always talk on and on... I really need to hold back on the talking. Haha. X3 Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you'll keep supporting me!


	13. He Knows Her So Well

**Chapter Twelve :: He Knows Her So Well**

Namine stared out of the window of her hotel room. When she awoke, Namine found herself alone. Her body was numb, but she was sure that it wasn't from the wounds Riku inflicted on her. Grudgingly, she had returned to the empty hotel room. Namine turned her face away from the dark sky and rose to her feet. The silence was stifling, causing her to slam the connecting door between the hotel rooms. She hated this kind of silence, the kind that pointed out what you did wrong. Angrily, Namine grabbed her sketchbook and flung it against the wall. Papers flew into the air and scattered about her. They all were sketches of ideas she had. Ninja. Warrior. Summoner. Keyblade wielder. Best friend. But the silence still pointed at her, making obvious the weakness she had. Namine lifted her hand to wreak havoc again, but the image of Axel flew through her mind and she lowered her arm. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do now. The young girl slid to the floor, hoping for something to grab at her and bring her back to her feet.

"I've lost them… the both of them," Namine muttered, wiping away at her dry eyes.

"You barely made it," Roxas stated, looking out at the dark sky. He sat in a chair next to the bed. They were in Sora's house. Though Sora had managed to get their hostage in without his parents noticing, neither Sora nor Roxas were quite sure how they'd keep him a secret. His gaze fell upon the occupant of the bed. "You're lucky that Kairi knew advanced healing magic."

There was no immediate response. Roxas shifted in his seat, feeling an uncomfortable silence. He leaned towards the one in the bed, but he knew that their captive hadn't spoken for some time. There was a slight movement as the captive's head turned to Roxas. His emerald green eyes burned into Roxas's soul. Roxas noticed that these eyes were nearly as cold as Namine's icy blue eyes. They were so alike now. Roxas felt like he had been casted out.

"Which princess doesn't know magic like that?" Axel snapped. He was sitting upright and looking out at the same sky. After shoving Riku into the portal of darkness, Axel had fought Riku to near death. He had planned to die. Deep down inside, Axel felt like his death might just save the both of them. That way, they both could be together without needing to worry about him anymore. His plan was thwarted however. Sora interrupted their battle just as Riku was about to end his life. Axel knew who caused Sora to do that. It wasn't rocket science.

"It's not like I was going to let you die!" Roxas shouted angrily, realizing the occupants of the house might hear him. There was another moment of silence. The blonde boy ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out what he really wanted to say. He stared at Axel. "Is she… going to give in to us now?"

"She's so stubborn. You'd be lucky if she even listened to your request."

"Wonder where she got that from," Roxas muttered. "But it's not like she'll want to fight anymore."

"You're wrong, Roxas," Axel corrected, seeing Namine in his mind. She was in the hotel room, deciding her future. He stared at his hands. They were calloused from the years of fighting with his chakram. A smile of disbelief reached his lips. He could see the outcome of this battle. It was so clear that the redhead was wondering if he was just being overconfident. "She'll be upset so much that she'll dry-cry, but then…"

"Then?"

"She'll stop," Axel continued. He smirked, seeing Namine wipe away at her dry eyes. Roxas watched Axel intently. "She'll rise to her feet without any hands reaching out to her. She'll think about how she was so weak. She'll think she's a horrible person. She'll think how she has become a monster. The thoughts will repeat itself in her head… and it'll finally reach a peak."

"…a peak?"

"She'll make a decision."

Namine rose to her feet, feeling the tears building up at the edges of her eyes once more. Everything hurt. She had been a horrible fighter and an even worse best friend. What kind of a best friend would let their other third take a blow that she had known belonged to her? It was as if she had stabbed herself and the emptiness was filling at an alarming rate.

"_I just wanted all of us to be together… was that so wrong?_" Namine asked, falling against the glass of the window. She shook her head and pressed her face against the glass, letting the cold pierce her skin. She thought of Roxas. She could see him so clearly. He had an awkward smile as he asked about his true nature. She merely smiled back because it was the only freedom she could grant him. Then, she thought of Axel. He had that confident smirk on his face as he threw her down onto the ground once more. She struggled to get up, but he held out his hand with an expectant look on his face. He was doing his best to make her work harder in order to defeat Sora. The memories hurt. "_What did I do wrong?_"

**I want all of us to be together.**

"_Is what I'm doing wrong? Am I really the bad guy?_" Namine asked herself, pushing herself away from the cold glass. She opened the door to Axel's room. It smelled a little like cinnamon, but it was just Axel's scent. She walked past the bed and stood in front of the closet. He had two pairs of his black coats. She grabbed his spare coat and laid it on his bed, staring at it as if it would answer all of her self-doubting questions. "_I'm only doing what I think is right. But… because of what I'm doing, I've lost everything important to me. I'm alone._"

**I'm alone.**

"I take it back," Namine snapped, shaking her head. She knew it was too late though. She thought it. It was out there in the world that she knew. The only thing she denied about herself was now said and it echoed inside her. It bounced around, creating more darkness and despair in her heart. Axel's face crossed her mind. She saw him dying. He was on the ground, reaching out to the sky with a smile on his face.

**We're best friends.**

"I'm a horrible best friend!" Namine shouted.

**You're not a monster.**

"I'm worse than a monster! I can't even protect my best friends!" Namine screamed, clutching her head. "I'm so weak and disgusting! Nobody in this world needs me. I should just give up and die!"

**You're the only thing I have right now.**

"I don't have anything. I don't deserve anything! I can't forgive myself! I can't forgive anyone!" Namine snatched the coat, holding it as if she would rip it in half. Still, she couldn't do it. She thought about the kindness that Axel showed her. She thought about the warmth of Axel's soul. He was a naturally caring person despite his fiery nature. He cared about her despite her constant self-doubt. He never once left her completely alone. Namine blinked, feeling a droplet fall down her face. She touched her face, tracing the movement of the tear from the corner of her eyes. Suddenly, something began to beat within her. Everything became clear. Her eyes turned dark. She stared out into the starry sky. "I can't forgive them…"

"She'll fight?"

"Because she loves us, Roxas," Axel answered, shrugging once. He winced slightly, feeling the soreness of his wounds. "You guys have made the wrong move. It's checkmate now."

"Checkmate?"  
"I give her two weeks… and she'll return with a strength that'll match no other person you've ever seen. Because she's fighting for true revenge now," Axel explained, shaking his head. "She thinks you all killed me, so now she'll kill all of you."

"She wouldn't kill me."

"That's irrelevant because you are now considered 'Sora' to her," Axel replied. He shook his head. "She just wanted the three of us to be together and now she thinks it'll never happen."

"Well, just go to her! Show her that you're alive!" Roxas shouted angrily.

"No," Axel replied. "If only you had come back, Roxas…"

"She's going to kill me, Axel!"

"Since we're best friends… I guess I'll share a plan with you," Axel said, rolling his eyes. He motioned Roxas to come closer to explain his plan.

Namine stood atop the hotel building, sketches in her hands. The remnant of her tear remained on her face as the falling moon gave way to the dim sun. She closed her eyes, taking in the morning air. It was obvious what she was going to do. She wouldn't let Axel's death go to waste. Namine grabbed Axel's coat, pulling it around her. The fabric twisted and transformed into something completely new. She was now in her own version of the Organization's uniform. The coat reached her knees and the sleeves were short. Beneath the coat, she wore a dark red dress and knee high boots. Her eyes pierced the day. She would keep fighting. She would fight until they were all gone.

"I'll never forgive them."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Okay, so I couldn't kill Axel either. I hope none of you mind. He still needs to do something important, so he's not going to die. I know I promised every other day, but I have school now and it's really busy. Augh, school. Anyway, Namine is really, REALLY angry right now. She's so angry at the world that she's even willing to kill Roxas because she believes her dream won't be realized. Two weeks of intense training and she's going back to fight. She'll be totally BA then. XD I'm excited to see how she treats everyone.

Anyway, thanks for reading and supporting me! I'm really grateful. ^___^


	14. Being Like Those We Love

**Chapter Thirteen :: Being like Those We Love**

Rain splashed against the window of Sora's room. It had been two weeks since that day that Axel had 'died'. However, there was no sign of Namine. Axel stared out the window and almost sighed. Maybe he had been wrong about her. Maybe she had left him or maybe she had cast herself away to the darkness in hopes of finding him there. He scoffed. No, she was coming. It was about time to leave. Axel walked downstairs. Sora's parents weren't home. They were working today. The redhead continued down the hallway, grabbing his overcoat and pulling it on. He reached for the doorknob.

"Where are you going?" Sora asked as he noticed Axel leave. He frowned. "To Namine?"  
"I don't know anymore," Axel replied simply, turning his head slightly towards Sora. "But no need to worry… nobody will miss me."

"She misses you," Sora stated, swinging his hand out to the side. The hand found its way back to his chest, as if he had a heart connected to Namine's. Axel scoffed, knowing who made him say that. Turning on his heels, he took one last look at Roxas and Sora and waved goodbye.

"When she comes, she may be too strong for either Kairi or Riku. I'm counting on you… on the both of you to save her," Axel said, feeling the compass in his body once more. It pulled him towards his heart. He was going to find it. "It's better if I'm not here."

"Do what you have to," Sora insisted, shaking his head. "But come back. It's wrong for you to hurt Namine like that."

"It was wrong of _you_ to hurt Namine like that," Axel snapped, pulling his hood over his head and running into the pounding rain. Sora watched Axel leave, feeling Roxas's pain. He wanted to ask Roxas why Namine had become violent, but somehow he knew. Despite being a nobody, Namine loved him so much that she couldn't lose him. She'd much rather die than live without him. Somewhere deep inside himself, Sora felt his own twinge of hurt. It was as if he had promised her something. It hurt to know that he couldn't help her… that he couldn't protect her.

_Forgotten… but not lost._

"Long time no see, Sora," a voice called out from the pounding rain. Namine appeared from the darkness, wearing her black coat and red dress. Pulling back the hood of the coat, Sora noticed there was something different about Namine. She looked hurt and disheveled, as if she had been crying all of her life and underneath all of that hurt and pain, he noticed something dark and sinister. Hatred.

"Namine…"

"Don't," Namine warned, yanking the threads of Sora's memories. Sora felt a searing pain in his mind and fell to his knees. Namine walked up to him, staring down at him with cold, unrelenting eyes. There was a dim shimmer and then Roxas appeared.

"Namine…"

"It's too late now, Roxas. I've gone too far," Namine said, her chakram appearing in her hands. She held one over her head and was ready to strike when Kairi leaped in-between Sora and Namine. Namine leaped backwards, knowing this battle would commence. "I won't hold back, Kairi."

A bright light shone brightly in Kairi's hands as duel keyblades appeared. She held them at her sides, a familiar signature stance. Namine noticed the likeness. Twirling her chakram in her hands, she smirked. Was this fate? She didn't know being reborn meant having a repeat of the past. Kairi and Namine. Roxas and Axel.

"Axel is still alive!" Kairi shouted over the pouring rain. Namine paused, hearing the words resonate within her. She stopped twirling her chakram for a moment, but realized that it had to be a lie. If Axel was alive, he would be with her right now. He wouldn't have left her alone. They only had each other. There was no way he would have left her alone… not after everything they had been through together.

**I want all of us to be together.**

"I can't. I can't. I can't. I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!" Namine screeched as thunder bellowed overhead. She flung her chakram at Kairi, who nimbly dodged it. Kairi leaped forward and struck, flinging Namine into a cement wall. Namine rose from the rubble, raising her hand. The chakram she threw at Kairi returned to her hand. She hated how she had said that sentence. It ended up hurting her more than it helped her. She scowled. Was this the destiny of all nobodies?

Pushing against the wall, Namine charged towards Kairi and threw both of her chakram at her. Kairi dodged again, but she noticed Namine had a dark smile on her face. That's when she heard the chakram return. Both sliced into her side. Kairi didn't budge. She rushed towards Namine and slammed her keyblade into the blonde's stomach, flinging her counterpart into a nearby store. Namine's chakram dissipated.

Kairi walked up to Namine, lifting the blonde's head with her keyblade. She had a sad look upon her face as the rain pounded on her. Namine scowled once more, seeing this look. She had this feeling of contempt, yet she couldn't find the strength to admit it. It was as if there was some unwritten law about hating what you truly are. Kairi tilted her head slightly. Her quiet voice cut through the rain.

"Is it lonely living like that?"

Namine grabbed hold of the keyblade, her knuckles turning white. Hands shaking, Namine continued to squeeze the keyblade as if it would crumble in her hands. Her crystal blue eyes were unwavering as her silence answered the question. Yes, it was lonely. It was so lonely. Her heart couldn't bear it anymore, but she'd rather live like this. Namine would rather die living with this lead brick pushing down upon her chest. This was because she knew that hope was at the end of the tunnel. Even though it was unlikely, Namine saw Roxas and Axel waving at her at the end of that dark, dark tunnel. They were waiting for her at the end of that tunnel. She knew that by splitting Sora she was undoing her work, but she needed those two. She needed them so badly. Tears fell down Namine's face freely, mixing with the pounding rain. No one understood her. She refused to open her soul to anyone but Axel and Roxas, and even Roxas was lost to the fulfilling anesthesia of light and emotion. She swung her entire body clockwise, slamming Kairi into the cement wall as well. Even if this dream no longer existed, Namine would believe it did.

"You have no idea what it is like to be me. You have no idea what it's like to be used for as long as you can remember and the one time you have hope, it's torn away from you. You have no idea what it's like to be sick of yourself to the point where even the thought of hope makes you throw up. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of life. I'm sick of being a nobody. I'm sick of being alive. I'm sick of you. Sora. Riku. Roxas. And do you know what the most ironic thing about this is?" Namine asked, grabbing Kairi by the neck and lifted her to her feet. Her grip strengthened with every word. "I can't kill myself. When I die, I'll be sent into the darkness and then from the darkness, I'll be brought back into this world. It's such a lonely existence and yet Roxas has seemed to have forgotten it."

Kairi kneed Namine in the stomach. She gasped for breath when she was freed from Namine's grasp. Namine coughed, feeling warm blood drip down her lower lip. Rising to her feet, Kairi began to cry as well. She felt the tears confusedly, wondering if this happened because she was connected to Namine. Suddenly, Kairi felt an emotion deep inside her. It was dark and murky. It was filled with hurt, despair, and loss. The weight of the emotions caused Kairi to stagger backwards. It was so much. Kairi's eyes widened. Was this the essence of Namine's soul?

"Namine, is this…?"

"Please, don't stop me from fighting Sora!" Namine pleaded, leaning against the brick wall. She wiped away at her teary eyes. She could feel the gravitational pull of Kairi's heart. It grabbed for her, demanding her to return. Suddenly, just as she felt a pulsation begin to pull her in, it stopped. Instead, it felt as if something heavy had been placed in her chest. She fell to her knees, overwhelmed by something that she couldn't quite understand. It hurt inside her chest. She felt beating in her chest and it beat in time with Kairi's heart. She felt the words she'd been holding in come out naturally. "I know you love him, Kairi. I know you love him so much that there isn't a thing you wouldn't do for him, but it's the same for me too! Why should I be cursed to have nothing? Why do I have to be the one who is all alone in the end when I chase after my dreams?"

"Namine…"

Namine glanced up, finding Kairi standing right in front of her. The two of them stared at each other, the rain filling the silence around them. Kairi held out her hand to Namine. Namine grabbed it gently and allowed Kairi to help her to her feet again. She felt so tired, as if she had spent her life running and running. Kairi's face tilted upwards slightly, her eyebrows furrowing and showing her sadness for her other half. She embraced Namine tightly. Kairi understood Namine's pain more than ever. This was not pain that could be cured with words after all. Maybe it was time for Kairi to stop being happy and just watch from the sidelines. The two held each other in the rain.

"Go," Kairi whispered into Namine's ear. She released Namine. "Be strong."

"If you insist," Namine muttered, shoving a chakram into Kairi's stomach. Kairi coughed, falling to her knees. She tried to cover the wound with her hand but blood seeped through. Namine's eyes had turned cold and unrelenting as Kairi's vision began to dim. "I can't forgive you… I can't forgive anyone."

Kairi fell to the ground, and watched as Namine walked into the darkness after Sora.

* * *

Author's Note

I'm sorry. I know it's been forever. I actually had this chapter written and never posted it. After rereading this story, I tweaked a few things. Chapter 13 got me really riled up, and I ended up thinking, "HOLY POOP. Namine is really angry this time."

Anyway, I'm going to try and update again. Writing these stories and not finishing them feels weird.

As a last note, I'd like to thank Divine Wolfe and NinjaShiek for always supporting me. I'm sorry for not posting for the longest time, but your support is still appreciated.


	15. The Truth of Things

**Chapter Fourteen :: The Truth of Things**

Axel walked slowly in the rain. He heard Namine fighting Kairi, and he longed to be at her side. He understood that he was a cause for her pain, but in order for Namine to grow strong enough to defeat Riku and Sora, she had to be alone. Her suffering gave her strength.

They were best friends, so he didn't doubt that she would forgive him. If, at the end, he found himself by Roxas and Namine's sides, she would surely frown at him and say something like, "You should have told me. You hurt me." However, he would have hugged her and it would have been okay again.

Until then, he had to stay hidden. If she found him, she wouldn't complete her evolution. After all, this evolution was only fueled with revenge.

"Is it fair for me to just let her suffer alone like that though? Best friends don't ditch each other," Axel thought, feeling the rain lighten. A dark cloak came into view.

"Have you come to beat me again?" Axel asked jokingly to the white-haired keyblade wielder. Riku didn't respond. Axel shrugged and kept moving.

"Kairi is in critical condition," Riku stated.

"Should've trained her better, I say," Axel retorted. He soon found a blade at his throat.

"I knew that we should have given you back to her as soon as you were well again, even sooner," Riku muttered angrily as he pushed the blade further into Axel's neck. With his right hand, Riku pointed back where Axel had come from. "Go back to her. Tell her that you're all right. I swear, if Namine goes any further, I'll—"

"What will you do? Kill me? Again?" Axel joked. He wasn't quite sure why he was acting so cocky. Anger slowly began to bubble within Axel. No, Axel knew what he had wanted from the beginning. Ever since he had found the broken crayons around Namine's feet, he knew that Namine would grant him the one thing he ever wanted.

Friendship. True, unending friendship.

Granted, he didn't know that she would give it to him. Instead, he had expected her to give him Roxas and that both he and Roxas would leave Namine behind. It was so strange how she had also managed to weave herself into the confines of his hollow emotions and find a place that neared or maybe even surpassed the bond between himself and Roxas.

In the weeks awaiting her arrival, he had doubted their bond. He spent countless hours gazing out at the shared sky, wondering if maybe he had overestimated their bond. Yet, Axel would be reminded of the few touching moments they had together and understood that she was coming. It was almost as if he were the one being rescued.

She was all he had now. Understanding that Roxas was beyond a barrier of emotion that both he and Namine couldn't grasp, Axel found that maybe his desired ending had changed. Instead, he opted to only need Namine and somehow, that didn't seem so bad. He actually wanted to see her, he realized. He wanted to spar with her and laugh with her and make her noodles and protect her.

It was love, but not a romantic love. It was true friendship.

This is why he had to save her. His plan would not only save her, but give her the one thing he knew she wanted more than anything else. He couldn't see her. He couldn't.

Axel grabbed a hold onto the keyblade. He smirked and pushed it away with incredible force. Riku leaped backwards, surprised by the sudden strength. If he couldn't see Namine, he could at least help her by weakening Riku. Axel's chakrams formed in his hands and he twirled them carelessly. With his usual smirk, he asked, "I think the real problem here is the fact that I'm not your nobody and you're not my heart."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Riku asked, getting into position to fight.

"If you can't figure that out, then I guess you're dumber than I thought. Let's see whose desire to protect is stronger, shall we?" Axel commented, dashing towards Riku. Axel leaped into the air and swung his chakram at Riku. Riku knocked them away with his keyblade only to find that Axel had already casted a fire spell beneath his feet. The explosion sent Riku flying into a wall.

In response, Riku sent out flames of darkness towards Axel. They hurtled towards Axel, but they missed their target and destroyed the wall behind where Axel had been standing. Dust filled the area, creating a fog that blinded both warriors. However, Axel was the first to act and he casted a spell that created a spiral of flames that caged Riku.

"This is all I can do for you with the strength I have, Namine," Axel thought as the base of the flames beneath Riku's feet exploded. Despite the onslaught, Riku rose from the rubble created by the explosion and slammed his keyblade into Axel, propelling him into a cart of fruits. Axel staggered to his feet and Riku gave a swift and powerful kick into Axel's stomach, making the redhead cough up blood.

"Why have you become so weak?" Riku asked.

"Eh? What can I say? I'm waiting for a princess to rescue me," Axel retorted before retreating into a portal of darkness. Riku cursed only to sense a malicious entity behind him. An injured Namine stumbled onto the battlefield, clutching her stomach. She grabbed a red potion and gulped it down.

"I figured I'd find you wherever trouble is. Were the heartless so strong here that you had to smash everything apart?" Namine asked coldly, the potion slowly giving her the strength to rise up once again. She faintly smelled cinnamon, but dismissed the thought. Axel wasn't here anymore. They were only trying to trick her.

Namine slowly walked towards him, twirling her chakrams in the familiar manner. The darkness and overbearing aura of her hatred clouded the air around them, causing Riku to falter slightly. He had never felt such a spiteful aura before. Even the darkness he had swallowed himself in would have cowered to this presence.

"This isn't Namine," Riku thought, wielding his blade once more. He took a deep breath in.

"This is a monster."

* * *

Soooo, I haven't been on here in forever. Haha...

I'M SO SORRY!

Well, to be honest, after leaving off at the previous chapter, I had no idea where to go with the next chapter. I just wrote this chapter, feeling as if going with Axel's point of view would be the best because this is has been slowly changing into an AxelxNamine fic. Most likely because the two have been together a lot and have begun to rely on each other for comfort and support. This doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to end up together as a couple, but the feelings are there... if nobodies could have feelings.

I definitely had a huge writer's block with this story as well. I'm slowly starting to remember the things I planned for this story, and I know why I didn't write them down (because I still don't like them today). I do have a general outline of what is going to happen, so hopefully I don't let this story die.

It'd be nice to finish this one.


	16. I'm Different Enough to Kill You

**Chapter Fifteen :: I'm Different Enough to Kill You**

Riku fought back as hard as he could. However, he noticed a drastic change in Namine's fighting style. He would sometimes see the glimmer of Axel hidden in her style, but within the past two weeks, she had found a style of her own. Namine used the flexibility of her wrists to parry his blade with ease as well as conduct lightning quick throws with the flick of her wrist. He had noted the same sort of flexibility in Kairi. While both he and Sora had been training her, he noticed this flexibility and asked her to put it to use. Sadly, it was a bit more difficult for her to find a use for the keyblade, which required more arm muscles than wrist action.

"Now that Axel is gone, isn't it easier to just become one with Kairi?" Riku asked as he dodged another attack. No matter what he did, he only saw Kairi in her. He thought he could change her feelings with his words as he had always done. He thought he could protect her. Namine stopped her attacks and jumped backwards. The look on her face would have sent any average human running. The scowl on her face mirrored a demon. She cried out angrily, not even able to find the words to contain the insult she felt through those words.

Shadow Namines erupted from her shadow and chased after Riku. These shadows were much more powerful than the ones that Kairi fought. Riku dodged nimbly between the shadows. However, he suddenly winced. There was a burn on his leg. Riku cursed; he had underestimated the amount of damage that Axel had caused. Two of the shadows pinned Riku to the ground. Namine quickly took the opportune moment and brought her chakram down on his chest.

Riku barely escaped by pulling one of her shadows into his place and tumbling out of danger. He struck the last of the shadows with his keyblade and it vanished. Even after such a horrific expression, Riku only saw Kairi in Namine. He knew that she was just lonely somewhere deep down inside. It was maybe a sort of loneliness that could be healed with time with her true friends and by her true completion.

"Axel would have wanted you to be happy. He would have wanted you to move on," Riku said quietly, biding for time. He just couldn't understand how Sora's completion had brought her to such madness. Of course she would be sad to see him go, but he hadn't expected her to go berserk as she had. Would Kairi have done the same thing? No, when Sora had become a heartless, she hadn't become violent. She had continued searching for him. Was it possible that maybe Axel meant more to Namine than Sora meant to Kairi?

"It's ironic how the ones with hearts don't seem to understand how to empathize," Namine stated, twirling her chakram. Her skin was bruised and the wounds from her previous battle began to bleed again. Riku watched Namine as she wiped at her eyes and wondered if her eyes had always been the color of emeralds. "Axel is gone now, and now you're trying to stop someone who would do the same exact thing you would if Sora or Kairi had been killed."

"Making a replica of me doesn't mean you know me," Riku retorted.

"I know you enough to know that you're comparing me to Kairi," Namine began, strumming at the hidden strings in the air. She plucked one out of the air. The world around them shook and Riku felt a sudden pain in his right leg. The pain spread through his entire body like fire. Yet, as soon as the pain was there, it was also gone. Riku stared at Namine with shock.

"What did you just do?" Riku demanded.

"Kairi and I have the same facial features. We move the same way. We laugh at the same things. We both dream about being with the ones we love forever," Namine continued, letting her fingertips skim against the edges of the strings of memory. She grabbed a handful. "That's where it stops."

The blonde yanked the strings out of Sora's memory. Riku screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. A sensation of sharp, prickling pain tormented him beneath the skin and at his heart. Namine stood over Riku, her eyes dull and empty. Her chakram were limp in her hands.

"I didn't want to do this to you, Riku," Namine said in a near whisper. "You saved me countless times, but it appears that you just don't understand."

"What don't I understand?"

"Friendship."

Riku breathed heavily, but he began to feel the pain subside. He knew Namine was simply being reckless. Roxas was right there for her, and to her, Axel was out of the picture. It would be so easy for her to simply become one with Kairi. His keyblade reappeared in his hand. Using the last of his draining strength, he pounced on Namine, pinning her to the ground with his dark keyblade at her pale neck. Blood seeped from Namine's neck.

"What you want is right here! Become one with Kairi and—"

"I'm not Kairi!" Namine snapped. Her chakram disappeared in a flash of light and she placed her small hands onto Riku's arm. Riku surprised at her gentle touch. Namine's voice quivered as she spoke to him. Her eyes filled with tears much in the same way that Kairi's would. They looked so similar. How could it be that they would be so different? Riku doubted that Namine would want to continue this destructive path if he just knew what to say to her. "How can you tell me to placate myself with only seeing Roxas when Kairi wants to see Sora? How could you possibly tell me to move on from Axel so easily?"

"You keep thinking that you deserve either everything you want or nothing at all. Axel is important to you, but is it really so important that you need to destroy everything around you?" Riku asked. "You would never hurt other people for your own gain. Stop it. Stop being selfish, Kairi."

Riku paused, the name escaping his lips before he could stop it. The darkness in Namine's eyes returned. She twisted her body to trip him. Having escaped Riku's grasp, she leaped into the air and threw her two chakram. They twirled downwards, pinning Riku's arms to the ground. She brought her arms to the chest and began to recite a spell. A spell appeared beneath the pinned Riku and Namine flung her arms out. There was a huge flash of light followed by an explosion.

Namine landed on the ground beside Riku into the crevice the explosion had created. Riku laid lifelessly on the ground, but Namine saw his chest still moving up and down ever so slightly. She picked up one of her chakram.

"You want to know a difference, Riku? You want to know what makes us so different?" Namine asked coldly, leaning over the white-haired boy. She gave a dark, dark smile.

"I can kill you."

* * *

::Author's Note::

Okay, before anyone can get on my case about the indestructible-ness(?) of Riku, I just want to point out a few things that may (or may not) help my case.

1. Riku is injured from his battle with Axel. (Let's say about 25% of his health. ...I feel bad for making Axel look weak.)

2. Riku isn't in this battle to destroy Namine. Thus, he's more likely to take hits in order for her to realize that he isn't the enemy.

3. Burn reduces health by about 1/8 every turn.

4. I believe that Riku loves Kairi in a way that he believes that his feelings could possibly reach her through Namine.

5. Namine has become so utterly ruthless that I think I may be crossing the borders within the realm of OOC that I'm already in.

#3 is a true fact in Pokemon.

I had wanted to focus on the aspect of "Namine being like Kairi," which makes me feel really bad for Namine because although she comes from Kairi, that doesn't mean that she *is* Kairi. She wasn't mentally unstable like Xion or Roxas. She, without the influence of any memories, was her own person and was able to make her own decisions with her own judgement. It makes me believe that Namine could have existed on her own and she wouldn't have strange "Ugg... whose memories are these?" moments.

Riku also happened to think this way and it caused Namine to only want to prove her own existence more, which I think is fair. I would hate being compared to someone else all the time.


	17. Bonus Story: I Would Love You

**[Please note: This chapter takes place before Axel and Namine reach the Destiny Islands for the final confrontation between Kairi, Riku, and Sora.]**

**Bonus Chapter :: I Would Love You**

_Axel, please get up. Axel, it would be nice if you got up now. Axel, I'm hungry. Will you make me noodles? Axel, I want to eat spicy noodles. Axel, why aren't you getting up? Axel—_

The fiery redhead grabbed his alarm clock and threw it into the wall. The clock bounced off the wall and rolled back into his hand which drooped over the side of the bed. Annoyingly, Axel pressed the off button and the voice stopped.

"Nahhh-mehhhh-naaayyyy," Axel groaned angrily. He heard footsteps towards his door; he could tell they were hers. Namine's footsteps were short and quick, sounding like soft rain against a window. Although, it also helped that they were the only two people in the small house. Namine peeked into the room, only parts of her face and dress were visible to Axel.

"Axel?" she answered, tilting her head a little bit.

"The message on the alarm clock you recorded is stupid and annoying. Get ready, we're going as soon as we're done training and eating," Axel muttered, combing his hand through his spiky red hair. Namine took another moment to look at him and nodded. He soon heard the pitter-patter of her footsteps go down the hall.

As Axel was brushing his teeth, he realized that Namine's eyes that were cold and harsh during training tended to soften during times where revenge wasn't the priority. When she was watching him, Axel noted that her crystal blue eyes would look almost as vulnerable as they did when he first met her. Was it that he had something on his face or perhaps she had fallen in love with him? Axel spit out the cinnamon Crest toothpaste foam in his mouth.

As if.

"C'mon, Namine, hit me!" Axel shouted, bending backwards to narrowly dodge an otherwise fatal strike of Namine's chakram. Namine jumped into the air and flicked her wrists, sending the chakram hurtling in Axel's direction. He nimbly dodged backwards and cast a fire spell on her. Namine cursed as the fire scorched her arms and landed back onto the ground. Although the flames weren't meant to burn her skin, they still hurt like it was nobody's business. Axel made sure of it.

Namine did a back-flip as Axel tried to attack her from the front, catching her twirling chakram in the air. Namine knew that Axel had a slight opening between his attacks, so she took this opportune moment to ram him into the ground. Finally, she slammed one of her chakram against his neck so he couldn't move. Axel smirked. She had improved exponentially from the first moment he kissed her. He never knew that rage and anger could be such a catalyst for the witch.

"Are we done, Axel?" Namine asked, breathing heavily. She leaned on her chakram for support. Axel could tell that she was getting tired. It made sense. They had been fighting since early this morning and it was almost time for supper.

In response to her question, Axel let flames burst from his body, sending her and her chakram flying into the air. He soon followed her into the air and began an onslaught with his own chakram. Namine used Sora's threads of memories as footholds to help her dodge Axel's attacks. However, she slipped and soon back to fall back to the earth. She reached out to him.

"Axel!"

Axel shook his head and he fell gracefully to the ground while she painfully smashed against it on her back. Namine coughed and rolled over, climbing onto all fours as she reached for her nearby chakram. Her arms shook from the sheer pain for having trained all day and not taking their usual lunch break. Axel knew this girl could eat and she needed to eat. Otherwise, she was just pathetic.

It was probably why they barely fed her at Castle Oblivion.

Yet, watching her struggle like this with her ice-cold eyes and calloused hands made him feel a little proud. He created this monster of destruction. Most battles he experienced were less than twenty minutes. Namine could fight for hours. He found that he enjoyed fighting with her for long lengths of time. It not only improved his own stamina, but gave a new light onto the delicate flower he once knew.

"Number one million on things you never do in battle: ask your opponent if the battle is over. Got it memorized?" Axel replied, kicking Namine's chakram over. It disappeared in a slight flash of light. Namine struggled to rise to her feet, but she never once complained about the pain. After watching her struggle for a little bit, Axel pulled Namine onto this shoulder and went into the house. She didn't fight him on his shoulder today, which made sense. It was Wednesday. She never fought back on hump day.

"Namine, did you pack?" Axel asked, setting her down on the couch. She laid there helplessly for a moment before she sat upright and grabbed a towel on the nearby table. She handed one to Axel before using one on herself. He noticed her glance at him before walking off into the kitchen to get something to eat.

"I did," she said, pulling out leftover hot wings from the fridge and putting them in the microwave. She looked back at him again and shyly turned away when he caught her staring.

"What do you want?" Axel asked annoyingly. She was staring more than usual and it was always at his eyes. Never once had she bothered to stare at his manly biceps, well-toned abs, or even his large, oversized hair. She was continually staring at his eyes.

"Your zipper is undone," Namine commented, taking the wings out the microwave and setting them on the table with two bowls of rice. Axel glanced down. So, she was right. Maybe she wasn't only staring at his eyes. He zipped his pants half-heartedly. The two sat down at the table and ate in silence. However, Axel felt as if his zipper wasn't the problem here.

"Are you worried about fighting tomorrow?" Axel asked.

"No."

"Then why are you acting weird?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You're usually telling me how much you hate me or how hungry you are or something."

"Then, I'm being weird," Namine replied quietly. Axel sighed and pushed his empty rice bowl towards her. Her compliancy was something that she couldn't get rid of, especially when Axel pushed her too much. He sighed and shook his head.

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because it's not something you just say. It's just a… a pretend feeling," Namine replied, taking his and her bowls to the sink to wash. As she began to start washing the dishes, Axel leaned on the counter beside her. Perhaps she had fallen in love with him? Axel coughed at the thought, drawing Namine's attention. Ridiculous. Nobodies can't feel. Feelings include love. Therefore, nobodies can't feel love.

"What kind of pretend feeling? Is it for Roxas?" Axel teased. However, Namine didn't respond. In fact, she blushed a little bit with a stubborn look on her face. For whatever reason, it made him angry and he accidentally radiated enough heat to evaporate the water coming out of the sink for a moment. Namine jumped a bit and shook her head.

"Can I show you a picture?" Namine asked. She pulled out her sketchbook before he could answer. Axel blinked. She was becoming more and more assertive with every passing day. Wait, was this assertive? Or was this aggressive? Axel idly ran a hand through his hair. Either way, although she had her moments of weakness, she wasn't exactly the girl that he used to push around anymore. She pulled out a sketch.

It was a picture of her in what could be a white organization outfit. However, the coat had short sleeves and the length was shortened. A dark red dress was worn beneath the jacket with stunning black knee-high boots. Axel was impressed. He thought the outfit was plain, but still sort of kickass. The outfit reminded him of Roxas. He blinked. It also reminded him of…

"This is an outfit I drew so I could look like you, a little bit. Roxas too, I guess. And, I wanted to know if you liked it because I wanted to wear it," Namine said quietly.

"What is this supposed to mean?" Axel questioned, pointing at the picture.

"It means that I want us to be friends."

Axel blinked and stared at Namine. She had this contemplative look on her face, but she quickly shook her head and stared right at him with her crystal blue eyes. He smirked and put his hand on her head.

"You love me?" he asked. Namine seemed at a loss for words.

"Nobodies can't feel," Namine replied, lowering her head. Axel sighed, knowing she had taken it the wrong way. She had thought it was his answer, but Axel still wasn't quite sure how he felt about the situation. He took the sketchbook and ripped out the picture. Namine opened her mouth to stop him, but he placed a finger on her lips.

"How about I keep this and get back to you on that friend thing? C'mon, let's get going," Axel said with his usual smirk. Namine tilted her head a little bit, but a smile reemerged from her lips once more. She ran upstairs to get her things. Axel sat back on the couch and looked at the picture. He noticed details that made her outfit appear more like his. The inner lining of the white coat matched the color of his eyes and the zipper of the coat mirrored his chakram without the spikes. Was she trying to be like him? Or was she bribing him to be friends with her?

Axel sighed once more. How did he feel about her? As far as he knew, he assumed they both were using each other to get the one thing they wanted the most: Roxas. Then again, the feeling of the mission had changed over the course of time they had together. Perhaps he wanted to be friends with her too? Maybe they were already friends? Maybe he loved her?

Axel angrily shoved the image into a pocket hidden within the inner lining of his jacket. Nobodies couldn't feel. That was impossible. Namine's footsteps could be heard as she ran back down the stairs. He opened the door and he followed her out.

Closing the door behind him, they began to walk together. Axel enjoyed this time of silence. In the Organization, all they ever did was talk and gloat on how awesome it would be when they ruled the world or something. It was one of the few reasons why he liked to watch over Namine. She was quiet, giving him the time to not get angry unless he wanted to be. They walked for a little bit before Namine opened her mouth to speak once more.

"Hey, Axel, I would love you," she stated. Axel blinked, almost stopping in his tracks. He chuckled awkwardly and pushed her ahead.

"You idiot, that conversation was over twenty minutes ago," he said jokingly. Namine blushed and nodded in apology. They continued to walk towards the Destiny Islands.

Axel had to work hard to contain his smile. The image in his coat pocket wasn't to bribe him or to look like him. It was to remind her of what he meant to her, a sort of memento. It was like a sign of respect, showing that she graduated from the school of kickass taught by no one other than himself. He was actually a little moved, if nobodies could feel that way.

"Yeah, I guess you could say we're friends," Axel replied. He watched as Namine tried to not stir with excitement. He smiled.

"I would love you too."

* * *

::Author's Note::

So, I guess I'm in a serious writer's block for this story. I know how the fighting should go. I even have the order figured out. I just can't find that ending that would wrap it all up and make me feel satisfied. Thus, I'm going to write another bonus story after this one.

I never really established how Namine and Axel became friends. It's a hard thing to do for Namine and Axel I think, especially when friendships are usually made without a formal agreement. For Namine and Axel, I assumed it would have to be more of a formal arrangement because, well, nobodies officially can't feel. Their lack of emotions probably create a sense of distrust among one another because nobodies are pretty much the epitome of selfishness: meaning they only do things to make themselves "feel" better because they don't feel. I assumed it was like anti-social/psychopath disorder, except worse because they can use weapons.

I also got to explain her outfit and a few more details of the coat. Her current outfit in the story is more of a tribute to Axel than to Roxas, not only because she has bonded more with Axel but also because he taught her everything she knew. It was her way of showing her loyalty and dedication to him. Towards the end of the story, I hope I can further portray her dedication to her friendship with Axel through her words and actions.

When I actually continue the story, that is.

Another bonus story is probably coming up.


	18. Mastermind

**Chapter Sixteen :: Mastermind**

"Is Kairi going to be okay?" Sora asked Donald. The magician gave a blubbering sigh.

"I'm not quite sure, but I will do the best I can."

After the battle between Namine and Kairi, Sora found Kairi and carried her back to his house where Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey were waiting for him. Sora looked out the window. Although the rain had stopped, the gray clouds remained in the sky. Reflected in that sky, he notices random flashes of light: the battle between Riku and Namine.

"Why am I standing here? I should be helping my friends," Sora said, staring at King Mickey. Mickey shook his head and also watched the bits of battle from the window.

"Axel said that you have to defeat her. It's the only way no one else will get hurt, but she needs to be weakened before she reaches you or else she'll just erase all of your memories and that will be the end of us," Mickey replied quietly. Mickey had not seen this outcome either. It was out of his own ignorance that this had even happened. Perhaps if he had paid more attention to the young witch, but that was Ansem's duty as DiZ. "We just have to trust him now."

"How can we trust Axel? It's not as if he is suddenly a good guy," Goofy replied, shaking his head. "I think he's up to something. We can't let either Axel or Namine hurt you, Sora."

"But you're going to let Kairi and Riku get hurt?" Sora shouted angrily. Sora blinked and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Goofy. I didn't mean to get angry with you. It's just, look at her. Kairi is in critical condition and now Riku's out there fighting her. Will killing me really make her happy?"

"I doubt it," Kairi replied softly. Sora blinked and turned to Kairi.

"Kairi, you're okay!"

"Don't worry about me, Sora," Kairi replied, wincing slightly. She smiled. "While I was fighting her, I suddenly felt this extreme pain in my chest. I've never felt anything like it before. If Namine has been feeling that way since you became one with Roxas, I'm sure that she would have gone crazy if not for Axel."

"How do I stop her?" Sora asked.

"Free her from her pain," Kairi answered with a small smile. She groaned and then fell back into unconsciousness. Sora blinked and reached out for Kairi, but Goofy stopped him.

"Sora, stop! She needs her rest," Goofy said. An overwhelming feeling of helplessness washed over Sora. The idea of not being able to do anything tormented the hero. He turned and ran out the door. There had to be something that he could do. Goofy stood there speechless. He began to follow when Mickey stopped him.

"No, I'll go with him. I get the feeling it's more than Sora acting right now," the king replied. He ran after Sora. Mickey ran out the doors, following the spiky-haired hero. Mickey called out to Sora and Sora stopped running. "I know it's hard right now, but you have to believe in your friends."

"Why am I so confused?" Sora asked, clutching at his head.

"It's not you that's confused, Sora. You know that," Mickey replied, motioning for the two to walk. They walked towards Riku and Namine's battle. There was a flash of light and Roxas appeared in front of King Mickey instead of Sora. Roxas shook his head.

"Why is she like this, your highness?"

"Namine has always managed to remain stable despite the fact that she was a nobody connected to Sora's memories, which always intrigued me. Both you and Xion reached a point in which you two began to go insane. For Namine, I think losing you was her tipping point. The solution would have come quickly if she had not encountered Axel right after losing you. She would have become one with Kairi and then be satisfied with her position. Instead, Axel stepped in and offered her a different solution that also brought about stability," Mickey explained. Roxas blinked. He had understood that she was coming to separate him from Sora originally. Somewhere, he did crave to be himself again but he didn't think he could live without feeling true emotions again. He thought Namine would simply nod and understand, but instead she had lashed out at him.

Was this Axel's doing?

"Since Namine was not our top priority at the Castle Oblivion, Axel had been able to reach her first. I think Namine may have known that he was watching and thus, she had a different reaction to your completion than she normally would have. She manipulated Axel to train her with the pretense that they both were out to get you back. He trained her and she learned how to fight. Then, Namine went to defeat Xehanort. It might just be a hunch, but I think she had more of a reason than revenge with Xehanort," Mickey contemplated. Roxas blinked. Had Namine been planning this all along? Mickey sighed. "I think he was her first test subject on how powerful Sora's memories could be. She would need a strong opponent that delved deep inside Sora's memory without getting the rest of guy riled up. Xehanort was the only one left."

"Has she been planning this all along?" Roxas asked, suddenly feeling his stomach churn. He shook his head. "I can't believe this."

"There is also the matter of which she gathered her power of darkness that she used against Kairi and Riku on their first encounters. I'm thinking that maybe she wanted to see how Xehanort used his darkness. Maybe with her powers over Sora's memory, she was able to implant his powers of darkness into herself simply by watching Xehanort with her own eyes and then using her imagination to fill in the gaps so that her attacks would logically make sense," Mickey continued. Roxas rubbed his temples, feeling his brain hurt. He couldn't believe that King Mickey was saying that Namine had defeated Xehanort simply to become more powerful in order to help her mission to bring himself back to her and Axel. "Or maybe by defeating Xehanort, she was able to absorb the memories of him and fill in the gaps of how to wield the powers of darkness. I also got message from Yuffie and Aerith from their world. Cloud, Tifa, and Leon had been attacked by a mysterious figure in white."

"Namine?"

"Although they hadn't been severely injured, the three said that they had to exhaust all of their powers in order to fight this figure. Not to mention, it looked as if this figure had been pulling at the air. Aerith said that it looked almost as if they the figure was plucking strings in the air. Every time she did, Cloud, Tifa, and Leon would weaken considerably," Mickey explained. Roxas shook his head.

"What could the strings be?"

"I think it may be the threads of Sora's memories," Mickey replied.

"She's using Sora's memories to fight us?"

"Yes, and it is more potent than any of us could imagine. I hypothesize that some parts of the universe exist merely because we believe them to exist. Although there are many holes in my hypothesis, it may explain why Namine was able to weaken her opponents. She started to erase parts of their existence as she fought," Mickey said. There was another flash of light and Sora returned.

"Then Riku might be in big trouble!" Sora shouted, forcing Roxas back into his subconscious. Mickey nodded gravely. Sora shook his head and began to run towards the battlefield. "I've got to stop her!"

"Sora, wait!" Mickey shouted. "You have to be careful. Axel's death has driven her over the edge! She may have only wanted to separate you at first, but now she is out to kill you!"

"I won't let her hurt my friends anymore!" Sora shouted back. He reached the battleground just as Namine raised her chakram to deal the final blow to Riku. In a flash of light, his keyblade appeared in his hands and he batted her away.

"Namine, you can't do this anymore. I know you're in pain, but you shouldn't hurt people because of it! This isn't right!" Sora exclaimed, shaking his head. He stared back at Riku, lying quietly on the ground. Sora's eyebrows furrowed at Namine, who downed another red potion. Sora blinked. Had Namine's hair always been slightly tinted red like that?

"It's good that you've come out, Sora. I've been looking for you."

Sora tightened the grip on his keyblade, dismissing that thought. He understood that Axel's "death" hadn't been in Namine's plan. He knew that she probably saw him as a close friend and that seeing him "die" made her humanity disappear. She believed that she had lost everything. Sora frowned. They should have just kept Axel to prove to her that he was still alive.

"It's okay if you're lonely, Namine. Believe us when we say Axel is alive. I'll bring him to you. Just believe me," Sora pleaded. "We'll find Axel and it'll be okay, I promise."

"I don't believe in lies anymore," Namine answered. Sora shook his head, trying to reach her heart. He felt his mood drop. It wasn't going to work any other way, was it? She was going to fight to her death.

Namine pulled out her chakram. Sora shook his head.

"What about Roxas? You'd kill someone you love just for revenge?" Sora asked, continuing to try and reach Namine. Namine's eyes darkened and she twirled her chakram.

"Goodbye, Sora."

* * *

::Author's Note::

I'd like to thank The Genius Mage Divine Wolfe for sticking with me this entire time. Oh god, I was rereading this series I wrote and looking at its reviews and I just noticed you kept coming back. Girl, I'm so glad I have your support on this. I'm sorry I kept leaving you hanging whenever and wherever. And umm, this is turning out so much more NaminexAxel than I originally planned over two years ago. Sorry about that too. But they're not going to be a couple! (I can't assure you that they will or will not kiss again though.)

I've been scouring the world of KH Wiki in order to make sure that I don't mess up my Sora or Roxas too much. I even did it to double check on Axel. Namine is just so OOC that I just let her run her course within the general boundaries of the "I'm going to save Roxas" realm. I realized it wasn't a writer's block. I just wasn't listening to the right music. I played the theme from the new FFversusXIII game and BAM, ideas were rolling that I liked a lot more. I'll do my best to keep it up.

Thank you for reading this series. It's coming to a close. Namine and the big SHABAM!


	19. Divided Individual

**Chapter Seventeen :: Divided Individual**

It was since that day that he saw her with Xemnas. Roxas had this strange feeling that something was off. The way that she composed herself as well as her outbursts weren't only influenced by Axel. There was a darker source compelling those reactions. Although Axel may have helped them, Namine had her own reasons. The more he thought about it, the less he began to love her. The innocent and pure girl he had once known had disappeared. Guilt sat in Roxas's stomach since the day he realized that. She still loved him, as much as a nobody could.

_ Namine pushed off the ground, twirling above Sora and threw her right chakram at Sora. Sora jumped away from the chakram. He looked at Namine helplessly. He didn't want to fight. There didn't need to be a fight. Namine just needed a friend. Namine landed behind him and caught the chakram. She put her arms across her chest and flung out her chakram towards Sora._

_ Sora barely dodged the attacks. He couldn't bear to hurt Namine. He was sure there was another way to fix this. He just had to keep trying. He dodged another barrage by Namine. Solemnly, the young hero stared at the girl, willing her to understand. Despite his endless attempts, Namine's cold eyes wouldn't change. In fact, she increased her onslaught, forcing Sora to fight back._

_ "Namine, I'm not lying. Why would I lie to you?" Sora demanded during the intense combat._

"_She's really talented in battle_," Roxas thought as he watched her fight. Although the look on her face gave him the chills, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous at how quickly she had learned to fight. Roxas had spent a lot of time training Kairi as well, but she didn't seem nearly as receptive as Namine did to Axel. Kairi wasn't nearly as gifted either.

Yet, a dark feeling tugged at the pit of his stomach. Sora said that it was called began when Roxas began to realize that Sora's feelings were flowing into him and that he began to love Kairi. Although he had felt something special Namine, being a part of Sora began to change him.

Yet, he knew that if Roxas had been in Namine's position, he wouldn't have been able to understand either. Kairi had said that in order to stop Namine, they had to free her. Free her from what?

_ Namine scowled at Sora's question and slammed her chakram into Sora's stomach, sending him flying. Sora regained his balance midair just as Namine bounded into the air after him. She continued her assault while Sora continued his defence. He refused to fight her. _

_ "Namine—"_

_ Namine smashed her chakram against Sora's head, sending him back to the ground. The girl in white was breathing heavily from all the fighting she had been doing. She made her way to Sora, who laid crumpled against the asphalt. She rose her chakram, but if she attacked him while he was helpless like this, she knew she wouldn't be satisfied._

Roxas groaned, feeling the same pain Sora was. If Sora kept taking hits like this, neither of them would be able to help her. He tried to recollect himself. Axel had told him his plan trust to stop Namine.

"Just trust Sora's ability to reach her," Axel had said.

"_How many more hits before Sora would reach her?_" Roxas nearly laughed to himself. Maybe it was time for him to take control. Axel's plan wasn't working at all. He would save Namine in his own way. It was about time that Roxas stopped running.

"Fight back," Namine muttered.

"I won't!" Sora snapped, rising to his feet. Namine noticed that he shook slightly from the fatigue of fighting so intensely. He held out his hands to her. "We can figure something out. You don't have to be alone, Namine. I'm here. Roxas is here. Axel is here."

Sora blinked as he lunged forward, beginning to attack Namine against his own will. Was this Roxas's doing? Namine weaved through his attacks. Sora grimaced as he tried to regain control of his body. Roxas, through his own sheer willpower, had taken over Sora's body without fully transforming. Namine's dark eyes glinted with pleasure as she realized he was finally fighting back. Although, she noted that he moved more like Roxas than he did Sora.

"ROXAS, STOP IT!" Sora shouted angrily. Namine smiled. She knew it.

"You see a little… _conflicted_," Namine commented with a smirk. Her chakram dropped from her hands and in their place a new keyblade emerged. The edges of the handle consisted of two wings, one was black and the other was white. The keychain featured sea salt ice cream. From the handle, the blade began as a small replica of Axel's chakrams and ended in spikes. Chains surrounded the blade, connected to a lock with Roxas's symbol on it.

"I can fix that," Namine stated, slowly walking towards Sora.

"_You have to defeat her, Sora! There's no other way!_" Roxas said from within Sora. Sora shook his head.

"I can't," Sora replied, struggling for control. "There has to be another way!"

The two continued to struggle with one another until they realized that Namine had pierced them with her keyblade.

"Look, I'm not the type to watch you two fight and resolve your issues. I'm a go-getter type of girl," Namine said quietly. A blinding light erupted from Sora and hit the sky. Once the light dimmed, two forms could be seen. Namine's look softened when she saw the familiar blonde before her.

Roxas blinked, being separated from Sora once more. He looked around. Had Namine also managed to manipulate his birth as a nobody? Normally, he would have been born in The World that Never Was as a nobody, but here he was. He even retained his memories. Namine smiled weakly.

"I've wanted to see you, Roxas."

Roxas shook his head, bringing his twin keyblades out.

"I'm sorry, Namine."

* * *

::Author's Note::

So, now Namine has what she wants... or does she? But it looks like Roxas is going to fight her. Then what about Sora?

My original idea was really cliche, so I'm glad that this came out.

(For those of your interested, original idea was Sora-Roxas interferes-Roxas about to defeat her-Axel takes the blow and dies. DA END)

Some of you expressed interest between the fight between Sora and Namine, but I think the best battle would have been Namine and Roxas (if you count that any different).

Jcthegirl:: Sadly, Xion will not cameo in this story. She's was just an example. I'm not quite sure how I would fit her in other than to confuse Namine. ^_^ That could be due to my own ignorance though. Although, I did have a few more ideas for stories when you mentioned that. :D


	20. The Three of Us

**Chapter Eighteen :: The Three of Us**

"I thought you'd be that way," Namine replied, letting her organization coat drop to the ground. Her red dress billowed in the wind. Her chakram returned and she twirled them unconsciously, a trait of Axel's she couldn't shake. Her hard eyes explained everything. She wasn't turning back, but she wasn't willing to erase Roxas's memories. She still wanted the same Roxas that she had now. They could learn to live with the pain they had now. That was also living, wasn't it? Doing what you could with what you had. Even if Axel wasn't here, his memory was still here. They could live for his memory.

Her, Axel, and Roxas.

Best friends.

Roxas readied himself as Namine charged towards him with a deadly look in her eyes. She attacked like an animal, ferocious and tactically. Roxas almost couldn't keep up with every graceful stroke and every bitter counter. However, his heart was decided. He would free her of her pain by making her forget everything. With a clean slate, Roxas could love her again and he could help Axel find his heart. They all would be whole. They would be happy.

Best friends.

Him, Namine, and Axel.

Axel watched the battle from a distant rooftop. He wondered if Namine's eyes would still soften if he would appear before her like a shade. He didn't doubt it. Roxas looked as if he finally had met his match, or maybe the hero's other half just wasn't putting his heart into it. Axel chuckled to himself. Roxas didn't have a heart right now. He rested his head on his hand. He knew that even if Namine saw him, she wouldn't stop fighting Roxas. Axel smirked, but his eyes were sad. Was this the destiny of all nobodies? Was friendship truly something so impossibly for them? Was everything with emotion truly so impossible?

The three of them.

Best friends forever.

Roxas dodged to the right, barely missing a fire spell casted at his feet. He jumped into the air after Namine. He quickly struck Namine, who was still recovering from finishing her fire spell. Namine flew back onto the ground, smashing the rubble beneath her. She coughed up blood, but quickly realized that Roxas was honing in on her. She knew she wouldn't escape in time and flinched. However, she heard the sound of metal against metal.

Sora was protecting her.

"What are you doing?" Roxas exclaimed. "She's going to kill you!"

"And you're going to kill her!" Sora replied, pushing Roxas back. Roxas landed on the ground and frowned. The battle had suddenly become much more complicated. Namine quickly rose to her feet and tried to attack Sora. Sora dodged quickly, unphased by Namine's attack. He had expected this, but he knew he could reach her somehow. It was just a matter of time.

"Protecting me won't change anything," Namine stated. Sora nodded, understanding her terms of battle. The three of them stood idly for a moment before dashing into battle. Namine cast a fire spell beneath both Sora's and Roxas's feet. Roxas had anticipated this and already began to dash towards Namine to stop her. Sora blocked his path to her and their keyblades met once more.

"She's trying to hurt us!" Roxas shouted.

"She just needs to hear the right words! She's waiting for one of us to save her!" Sora replied, pushing against Roxas with all of his might. Suddenly, flames erupted from the ground below them and they both screamed out in pain.

"You still sure about that?" Roxas asked between his pained breaths.

"Don't get anal with me," Sora snapped. "I would never, ever hurt the girl of my dreams."

"Does it look like I have a choice?" Roxas demanded. He noticed the glimmer of incoming metal and tackled Sora to the ground. The both of them barely dodged Namine's thrown chakram. Roxas rolled to his feet and swung at Namine. Namine leaped back and scowled. Her chakram were still on their way back, and Roxas was forcing her backwards with his relentless strikes. Namine dodged another blow.

The young witch stomped on the ground, sending a metal pole from the rubble beneath her into her reach. She slammed the pole against Roxas's keyblades. Roxas felt a slight shock go up his arms from the impact. It was impressive. She had really gotten strong. Namine smirked and Roxas quickly realized that the chakram were coming back.

Roxas pushed his weight towards Namine to try and tackle Namine to the ground as he did Sora. Instead, Namine flipped backwards, causing Roxas to stumble. She caught one of the chakram with her foot and swung her body so the chakram was sent flying towards Roxas. Roxas gasped and quickly batted it away with his keyblade. The other chakram came to Namine's hand.

"You've gotten strong," Roxas commented, using this moment to catch his breath.

"Is it scary?" Namine replied, tilting her head. She caught the other chakram.

"I used to have the same exact look, if that's what you mean," Roxas answered with a smirk.

Her eyes darkened. "Now just sit there and be nice."

Roxas's eyes widened as Namine suddenly reappeared behind him and slashed his calves. Roxas cried out in pain and fell over, shaking. He turned to face Namine, grimacing in pain. He said, "You've changed, Namine."

"And so have you, Roxas," Namine stated. She began towards Sora, but she knew she was reaching her limit. Although she was fairly skilled in long-term combat, she had been fighting all day and she was losing her strength. Her head was beginning to feel light and it took more energy to focus on even simple things, but she couldn't let that stop her.

"Namine, you don't have to do this," Sora pleaded, shaking his head. "Axel is—"

"Axel would have come back to me!" Namine screamed. The thought of the spontaneous redhead made her feel even more emptness in her chest. The feeling began to overflow again, dragging her deeper into the darkness within her. "Axel said we were best friends! All I wanted was for the three of us to be together! What is so wrong with that? What's so wrong with wanting to live with what you have?"

Darkness began to radiate from Namine. She shook, exhausted but unwilling to give in until Roxas understood. They could learn to live as nobodies. There was nothing wrong with that. She had known it would take time, but she didn't expect it to take this much time. She expected him to understand right away. That's what should happen.

They were best friends.

Roxas, Axel, and Namine.

Roxas watched helplessly as Namine began to lose control of her powers. If they were really so close, why wouldn't she just accept the fact that they all couldn't be one together? It would be okay, he thought. Axel would understand, and they would find his heart. Then, they could be together as friends till the end of time. Roxas might even love her again. Why didn't she understand? Why did she make it more difficult than it had to be?

Forever, they were best friends.

Axel, Namine, Roxas.

Axel, still watching from the same rooftop, decided it was his time to enter the battle. He grabbed a green potion and walked into a portal of darkness. It was about time that this had ended. If Namine was going to keep being stubborn, she might go crazy and actually kill people. Axel sighed. He knew Namine didn't want that. She just wanted Roxas to understand what both he and she wanted. Maybe it was impossible for all of them to be friends as nobodies. If that were the case, Axel was the only thing stopping them. Namine's words rung in his head. _I want all of us to be together._ Why did the world have to be so cruel? Was it really too hard for those with hearts to understand the concept of friendship for nobodies?

Still, they were best friends.

Namine, Roxas, Axel.

* * *

::Author's Note::

I feel really bad for everyone right now. Namine is just really lonely and she doesn't know what to, you know? After realizing that the Roxas she once knew wasn't there as well as technically losing Roxas, she thinks that she wants to hurt everyone, but that isn't the case at all. She just needs a hug and some love. Sadly, Roxas can't give that to her because he can't forgive her for hurting Kairi and because he's become afraid of her a little bit. I mean, she was really sad and lonely and weak, but now she's strong and angry.

And Axel. Gah, he can't go back to Namine because he knows Namine needs to get her feelings out or else she'll always feel bitter, you know? It's just a sad existence for the three of them.

This story is finally coming to an end. Maybe not in the next chapter, but so soon. Gah, this has been a loooooong journey.

Thank you for reading.


	21. Inner Darkness, Outer Light

**Chapter Nineteen :: Inner Darkness, Outer Light**

"Namine, it's going to be okay. Trust me," Sora said, releasing his keyblade. He walked towards her unarmed. The darkness around her bit at his skin, but he refused to let pain stop him from saving her. "We'll go find Axel. Listen to me, Namine. When have I ever lied to you?"

Namine shook her head, feeling a weird sensation in her chest. It was too late. She began to allow herself to accept the feeling of lonliness again. The darkness that had settled its way deep into the confines of her chest began to loosen and arise. It wrapped around her and whispered things of lonliness, things she didn't want to accept. She grabbed at the air, feeling the strings of memory woven tightly around Sora. Her clentched fist threatened to end a large segment of Sora's existance. If she gave in to him now, he would only hurt her. After all, she had become a monster, a monster enslaved to revenge.

"You're not wrong. There's nothing wrong with living with what you have," Sora continued, grimacing as he inched closer Namine through the darkness. He reached out his hand to her, light radiating from his own body. He knew he could save her, only if he could reach her. If he could touch her heart, he knew that he could find the light in her heart and save her. He didn't know how he knew, but it just felt right.

Namine felt a familiar warmth radiate from the brown-haired keyblade wielder. She shook her head, refusing to be touched by such a warmth again. No longer would she be fooled by smiles. It all led to the same place anyway. She had fallen too deep into darkness to turn back now. She was drowning in this dark place that she led herself to, a dark place where she thought she had a chance of finding light. All she could do is feel the unending darkness engulf her, tearing her apart mentally.

"Namine, take my hand," Sora said, stretching his hand as far as he could go. He couldn't move any closer. The darkness was too dense. If she reached out to him, then she would be okay. "Namine, I won't stop you from your mission. Please, just stop fighting. I'm okay with staying this way, I promise. You just wanted to be happy, right? You wanted to live your life, making your own decisions, right? I'm not going to stop you, so you don't have to be angry anymore."

"But Axel—"

"Axel is alive! I wouldn't lie to you, Namine," Sora said. "I don't remember you, but something inside of me tells me that you're important to me too."

The darkness around Namine thickened immensely as she was further confused by Sora's words. She gripped her head, feeling a deadly pulsation rip its way through her mind. The light from his heart was reaching her, but she was too afraid to reach out for it. She didn't want to be hurt again. She never wanted to feel that sort of helplessness when she lost Axel again.

"Roxas still loves you too, you know," Sora continued. "He was just confused because he was afraid. He still loves you, Namine. He just doesn't know it."

"Aren't you scared?" Namine finally asked, her empty eyes gazing at Sora through the darkness.

"I'm not," Sora replied. "You just look like a lonely girl. You're just a girl whose been through too much for someone to bear alone."

"I'm a monster!" Namine screeched. She said it aloud again, something for the world to record. She covered her mouth. She laughed bitterly "It makes sense that Roxas doesn't love me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Namine!" Sora shouted. He tried to stretch once more. "You're confused because you've been hurt too many times. It's normal. All you need is for someone to love you."

"Who will love me?"

"Roxas loves you, Namine. Axel loves you too," Sora repeated. He looked at her with gentle eyes. "I'll love you, Namine."

The darkness in Namine's heart overflowed, sending out a shockwave that almost swept Sora off his feet. There were too many sensations for Namine to understand. The dark feelings within her that demanded for revenge were conflicted with the words of light that came from Sora's mouth. Her mind pulsated painfully and she fell to her knees, releasing the threads of Sora's memory. The darkness had finally disappeared from around her.

"Namine," Sora said, standing above her and holding out a hand to her. "Are you ready? Let's go find Axel."

Namine's eyes darkened. Blood splashed onto Namine's face as she stabbed Sora with her chakram.

Namine gasped when she felt the blood hit her face. Feeling Sora's blood on her face awakened her to the reality she had placed herself in. She backed away, shaking her head. She dropped her chakram and they disappeared, returning as threads of Sora's memory. Tears bit at her eyes. How could she hurt the one person who did nothing but help her? Sora was the only one who asked absolutely nothing of her. He showered her with the light of his heart. He had loved her. He had forgiven her. He had given her hope when her entire world made her helpless. Namine felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes.

What had she been trying to accomplish all this time? Killing Sora wouldn't bring Roxas or Axel back. She had no right to hurt him when he had done nothing wrong.

Sora stood as strongly as he could. He smiled gently towards her, his arms still outstretched. Blood dripped down his leg and he shook, but he refused to fall. "See? You don't look scary at all. Just lonely."

The warmth eminating from Sora was becoming too much for Namine. It reminded her of Axel and Roxas. It was the same type of hope, even though neither of them were here. The darkness began to disappear around Namine's heart. It faded away more and more with every smile Sora gave her. Sora held out his hand once more to her.

"Namine, let's go find Axel and we'll make him go apologize for not going back to you right away, okay? He misses you very much. After all, you're very important to him, right?" Sora asked. Namine blinked, letting down her guard. She smiled.

"I believe you," Namine replied, reaching out her hand.

Suddenly, Namine gasped as a chakram went right through her body. Blood splattered against Sora's shocked face. Axel had dealt the blow. The cycle of hatred finally ended with redhead caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Namine, I'm sorry."

* * *

::Author's Note::

Poor Namine. She's been fighting all day and she's pooped out.

Namine, as a character, is actually easily swayed by words. Although, Kairi thought differently in Chapter 14, Namine just needed to hear the right words. Namine didn't want to have to change so drastically to get what she wanted, but she saw it as the only way out. I guess it's a little like cognitive dissonance, where your thoughts don't match your actions. Eventually, she settled with the idea that revenge was the only way out because Sora wouldn't want to be separated. Thus, Sora was in her way and anyone protecting Sora would also be in her way. So, she hurt them all.

Knowing that Sora actually supported her decision redeemed him and everyone sided with him.

BUT NOW SHE'S STABBED. :D

Sorry, that doesn't deserve a smile.

Thanks for reading!


	22. Best Friends Forever Reprise

**Chapter Twenty :: Best Friends Forever Reprise**

Namine felt as if she were falling in water. She fell farther and farther into what she assumed was darkness. Thoughts raced throughout her mind as she continued to fall for what she believed was eternity. She thought about the friendship she had made and lost in a matter of days. She thought about her path to destruction. She thought about all the people she hurt just to find happiness.

I**t's time for you to wake up now.**

Namine opened her eyes and realized that she was standing on a platform. It was circular in shape with some sort of colorful, stained glass type of art on it. She walked around and wondered who had spoken to her.

**Do you feel guilt?**

Namine looked above her, finding nothing but vast darkness. She pressed her hand against her chest, willing something within her to give her a real answer. The blonde girl didn't know if the feeling in her chest was guilt or even if the feeling was real. Everything in her life had passed by so quickly that she never really did have the time to think things through. She realized she didn't have an answer.

Heartless appeared at her feet. Instinctively, Namine jumped back and brought out her chakram. She knew now she had gone about finding happiness the wrong way. Sora wasn't the enemy, but she needed someone to blame. She had to blame someone for not saving her from Marluxia who made her do horrible things. She had to blame someone for being stuck a captive from person to person. She had to blame someone for taking Roxas away. She had to blame someone for taking Axel away. Sora was simply the connecting factor.

Namine fought the waves of heartless. Somewhere deep inside, she was still apologizing for everything, telling everyone she met that she was sorry she was ever born and sorry that she even learned that she had this power. That didn't necessarily mean she felt guilt. It was how she was raised by Marluxia: to apologize for everything she was. How did she really feel?

**Do you like lying to yourself?**

Namine slammed her chakram against the last small heartless. She panted, sweat dripping down her face. She looked up, only to find a monster of a heartless staring down at her. Her mouth formed a tight line as she realized that she was up against something tough. The heartless lifted its hand into the air, ready to send a gigantic shockwave onto the ground.

"I know I miss Roxas and Axel," Namine thought as she readied herself. The heartless bashed its hand against the ground, but Namine leaped into the air before impact and ran up its arm. Once she reached its head, she began to attack. It growled, picking her up and throwing her to the ground. Her body twitched on the ground.

"I only wanted the three of us to be together," she thought as she laid on the ground. The heartless raised its foot. She couldn't find the strength to get up. For so long she had been running to what she thought was her goal, but she realized that she was only running away from the real problem.

She had to accept her fate and become one with Kairi.

"But, I was happy with Axel," she said quietly. She smiled at the thought of him. "I know nobodies can't feel, but he made me feel like I had a heart. I wanted to share that with Roxas, but he wanted the real thing, didn't he? He didn't want what I had to offer him."

Namine felt as if a weight had been lifted off of her chest. That too. She had been denying Roxas's true feelings. She thought that having Axel and her would be enough, but it wasn't to him. He needed the real thing to breathe, to live. She felt tears well up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Roxas."

The heartless's foot descended upon her, but it found it couldn't crush her. A boy stood above her, a boy cloaked in the organization coat. He pressed his keyblades against the heartless's foot and swatted it away. The heartless tumbled away. He held out a hand and helped her back to her feet.

"How can you give up so easily?" Roxas asked, frowning. "Now that I'm finally here with you, you're going to give up?"

"But you wanted to have real emotions," Namine muttered.

"I wanted you," Roxas corrected, swinging his keyblades. He turned away from Namine's slightly shocked face. "I mean, I wanted to be with you and Axel too. Somewhere, I just accepted that things had changed. I never stopped wanting to see the both of you. I'm glad you two became friends."

"Roxas, I—"

"Are you guys done with the sap story yet?" Axel asked, throwing his chakram at the large heartless that was about to strike again. He patted Namine on the head. "We need you to wake up. Can you do that?"

Namine blinked and nodded. "Yeah, I can."

The heartless's fist slammed against the ground, but the three friends simultaneously jumped together to avoid the attack. Axel and Roxas each ran up one of the heartless's arms, dragging their weapons behind them. Namine had begun to run up the monster's back when it bent over in pain from Axel and Roxas's onslaught. Once the three of them reached its head, Axel and Roxas helped boost Namine high in the air. From the high vantage point, Namine brought her arms together across her chest and a bright light shone from her body. A chain of weapons circled around the heartless, all familiar weapons of those she had encountered. She released her arms and they were sent down flying towards the heartless. Axel and Roxas leaped on opposite sides to avoid the blow while also casting spells of their own to hurt the heartless.

The heartless screamed out in pain and fell to the ground, immediately beginning to disappear. Namine began to fall back to the ground. Roxas ran to catch her, but she nimbly avoided him and landed safely beside him. Roxas smirked.

"I might actually like this new change," he commented. Axel laughed and shook his head.

"And who do you think made her this amazing girl today?" Axel inquired. Roxas frowned. "Aww, don't cry, Roxas. If you ask nicely, I'm sure Namine will say you contributed to it too."

The three friends laughed together. Namine stared at Axel and Roxas.

"I wanted all of us to be together," Namine said with a smile.

"Now we are," Axel answered.

"And we always will be," Roxas finished. Namine laughed and took her two best friends' hands in hers and walked into the door that had appeared after they defeated the heartless.

xx..xx..xx

Namine's eyes fluttered open. Had that been a dream in the deep dive? She noticed familiar faces staring over her: Sora, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, and Roxas. Her entire body ached from her battles. She didn't even want to move?

"How are you feeling?" Kairi asked. Namine stared at her other half. Kairi was bandaged up pretty badly and her hand sat idly where she had been stabbed. The blonde looked down, feeling shame for the unneccessary pain she had caused. The princess of light noticed this and smiled, shaking her head. She hugged Namine. "It's okay, Namine. I forgive you. Now, do you have something to say to Axel?"

Namine sat straight up, ignoring the shocks of pain in her body. Axel sat away from the group with his head resting lazily on his hand. She stared at him, her mouth parted slightly from the shock. It hadn't been a dream. Axel shrugged and looked away. The redhead noticed the tears welling up in her eyes again. He almost smiled though. Her eyes had softened considerably when she looked at him.

"Axel, I…"

"You can skip the sentimental cra—"

"I can't believe you, you insensitive jerk!" Namine screeched, leaping off her bed onto Axel. She punched him in the face. Axel fell backwards, dodging Namine's flurry of punches while she was on top of him. Roxas rushed to pull her off. Namine breathed heavily, tears biting at the corners of her eyes. "You stupid pyromaniac poop face! Do you know how empty I felt without you, especially after losing Roxas? You're an idiot! I don't care if that made me stronger. You should've come right back! You should've…"

"Namine," Axel sighed, rubbing his cheek where she had gotten him. Namine pushed Roxas away as she felt tears begin to fall down both of her cheeks. The blonde looked at her shaking hands.

"You should've told me you were okay," Namine whispered between her sobs. Axel sighed and shook his head. He patted her head.

"I'm sorry, Namine," he said. Namine stood there sobbing some more. He sighed again. "So, what's this about you changing your eyes and your hair color? I see the tints of red in your hair and your eyes have never been so green. And your tear marks are making you look even more like me."

"Because I thought you died! I couldn't stop thinking about you and it just happened!" Namine shouted angrily, punching the air around him. Axel sighed again and pulled her close, kissing her head. He blushed slightly when he noticed the group watching them.

"It's okay, you baby. I'm right here. Change back to yourself right now," Axel commanded. Namine nodded and he released her. Namine's hair color and eye color returned to normal. "Now you're that wimpy kid I remember."

"Why do you make me cry all the time?" Namine asked, pouting and wiping away her tears.

"I don't know," Axel snapped, although he knew. Would-love, right? He turned her around to face the rest of the group who was watching with slightly blushed faces. Sora coughed embarrassedly. "Now tell them what you want to tell them."

"I'm sorry," Namine said quietly. "I was wrong."

"We've already forgiven you," Kairi replied with a smile. She looked past Axel and Namine. "Right, Riku?"

"Yeah, we have," Riku answered with a soft smile. After watching the interaction between Axel and Namine, he realized that nobodies could have bonds. Granted that nobodies still should become whole, he would be okay for them to stay this way until they found Axel's heart. "They saved you from the darkness, so I know that your heart was in the right place."

"Sora, we're going to go look for Axel's heart," Namine stated and the brown-haired keyblade wielder nodded. She looked strong and she held Axel's hand tight. "I know I have to return to Kairi, but I wouldn't feel right leaving Axel alone."

Roxas smiled and grabbed Namine's other hand. The three of them smiled together in the way they that did. Sora glanced at Kairi who smiled cutely back at him. He laughed and nodded. The hero said, "Go ahead. We'll be on our own adventure soon. We'll meet somewhere between."

"Sora, thank you," Namine said, beginning to walk out. Axel and Roxas stopped her.

"You need to rest," Axel commented.

"I'm good! You've beat me up worse," Namine perkily said with a cute grin. Axel sighed and shook his head. He looked at Sora.

"We'll be going then," he stated. The three nobodies walked out the door. Sora and Kairi smiled. Riku nodded in approval.

"They look like us, don't they?" Kairi said happily. The three best friends glanced at each other and laughed.

xx..xx..xx

"So, where are we going exactly?" Roxas asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Wherever Axel leads us. He knows the way," Namine replied smiling.

"Uhh, yeah. Sure. I think it's this way," Axel said, looking away. He laughed at the concerned looks on Namine's and Roxas's faces. "I'm kidding. I know the way, as long as we're together."

"And so our adventure begins," Roxas said, staring up at the morning sky.

"Then we'll go home together," Namine corrected. "Because we're best friends."

"Forever, whether we like it or not," Axel finished.

And so, the three of them, walking beside each other, began their own journey to find Axel's heart. Each feeling strength by being with each other.

Axel, Namine, Roxas.

The three of them.

Best friends forever.

* * *

::Author's Note::

And there we go. The end.

I had to have a happy ending. A lot of times, I find that I give my characters ridiculously unhappy endings, so I really like that this ended well.

In case any of you ask, I (probably) won't do a sequel to this story about Namine, Roxas, and Axel going around and looking for Lea around the worlds. (But if I did, I would probably have them explore more of the Marvel worlds because Disney bought out Marvel. :D Dark Knight Batman anyone? Plus a kickass Namine, that would be fun.) But plot line would be pretty simple. Explore, find Lea, fight bad guy, go home, win. XD Or something? But the thought of it sounds pretty awesome, especially going through the worlds of the super heroes.

I would like to thank all of you for your continued support. It has really been great doing this series and actually finishing it. ^_^

It feels a little sad to finish this story, but knowing that Namine came to her happily ever after, I feel a little good too.

Thank you again for your support.

Maybe I'll see you if I manage to find time for another series? :3


End file.
